


The King's Castle

by DoctorpooandtheTURDIS



Series: Go, Go, Godzilla [3]
Category: Godzilla - All Media Types, Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Godzilla: Monster of Monsters, Haunted video games, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life, So if you see tags and can't find the subject matter in chapters it hasn't been posted yet, Tagged for some future plots, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 60
Words: 140,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28079496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorpooandtheTURDIS/pseuds/DoctorpooandtheTURDIS
Summary: With Ghidorah dead and things winding down, life in the new Castle Bravo base is going well. Though there are likely to be more giant monster battles in the future, for the moment, it's just calm and relaxed.In other words, days mostly consist now of trouble the crew make for themselves...Or rather, trouble mainly made by Godzilla and Maddie.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Mothra, Godzilla (Legendary | MonsterVerse) & Madison Russell, Godzilla (Legendary | MonsterVerse)/Madison Russell, Will Byers & Madison Russell
Series: Go, Go, Godzilla [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045095
Comments: 160
Kudos: 25





	1. Game Day, Part One

**Author's Note:**

> So, this isn't anything too serious. Just something to keep you all who want more of this series satisfied while I work on my next entry, Godzilla vs Mothra. Most of this one should just be lighthearted fun, and Godzilla and Maddie's friendship's occasional ups and downs. If that's not your cup of tea, I understand, but if it is, do please leave any recommendations you may have. I'm always looking to improve as a writer

The first thing you need to know about living on Castle Bravo, the old converted oil rig out in the middle of the ocean, was that despite living with a giant monster…

Life wasn’t that chaotic, most days.

 _Most_ days. There was one day or two where things were sufficiently odd. Because, despite their jobs amounting to being wildlife experts, the people working the base had been through some seriously freaky stuff, and freaky stuff left deep scars.

Scars that typically manifested in more freaky stuff happening.

Most days, the freaky stuff was rather tame in nature, and inflicted by humans on other humans. There was one day where Rick made a remote-control car for the express purpose of tripping people up, another day where Barnes gave some nasally brown-noser G-man a hard time because he didn’t have his passport (which was funny because they didn't need passports in the first place), and then another day where Chen tricked the others into thinking the ORCA was ‘working’ by syncing a video of whales mating to the audio of a porno.

Really, it was the only way the people on the base could keep from going insane. Well, most everyone except Maddie. She just messed around cause she thought it was funny. All she had to do was wear platforms, stuff her shirt a little, and bam! Those who were unfamiliar with her ‘twin,’ El, were swearing up and down that Maddie was a speedster like the Flash.

But, occasionally, weird stuff happened _without_ the intervention of the people on the base. There was a copy of an NES game based off Godzilla that, by all rights, shouldn’t have existed and had some _seriously_ nightmare-inducing stuff. They’d played it once to check out what it was, got to the last level of the world called ‘Pathos,’ promptly took the game, doused it in gasoline, lit it on fire, and threw it into the garbage compactor… only for it to promptly resurface in the break room, free of all outward damage and working just fine.

Godzilla seemed to like the game though… which led to the effort of building a giant NES controller so he could play it himself using one of the base’s projectors.

 _“Ohohoh, this is_ cool _…”_ The sea monster proclaimed, as Maddie sat on his snout. The controller was a bit awkward for him, a monstrosity constructed of plastic that did little more than act as little arms to press the buttons on the actual controller below, but though it was comparatively the size of a playing card in human hands, Godzilla made it work.

“I’m telling you, G.” Maddie shook her head, leaning back. “It’s _scary_.”

 _“Ah, don’t get your panties in a twist, I’ll protect you.”_ He rumbled. Maddie seriously hoped he wasn’t the kind of gamer to do a rage quit, because if he was…

The base wouldn’t survive to see the end of the night.

 _“Does make me wonder,”_ Godzilla tilted his head, as he got to the final fight on Mars, Titanosaurus. _“Who in the hell made this thing?”_

“We don’t know.” Maddie answered. “It’s got no copyright on the sticker, none in the game itself, nothing on the box either.”

Godzilla huffed, sending warm air circulating in the winter air as he _kicked Titanosaurus’s ass._ The level change screen flashed as it loaded the next world, Pathos. So far, he _really_ couldn’t see what made this game so bad. There’d been a couple of glitches, but nothing really that far.

 _“So, where did you find this thing?”_ Godzilla questioned, as he entered a side scrolling level, comprised of strange blue mountains with a blood red moon hanging overhead.

“I told you,” Maddie repeated, rolling her eyes, “It showed up in a package one day. None of us sent for it.”

 _“That’s kinda creepy.”_ Godzilla commented, playing through the level type effortlessly. The game was, in all honesty, kinda boring so far. But it was a _video game._ Starring him!

He’d have to find the guy who made it and send him a gift basket or something. Fan mail was always good, but stuff like this went above and beyond.

“Beyond creepy.” Maddie hissed. “You’re playing a potentially haunted video game that we can’t get rid of! How are you not more concerned about this!?”

 _“Mads,”_ Godzilla snorted, _“I’ve been possessed by an Elder God, forced to watch myself slowly mutate into a monster, and fought Ghidorah and almost died. There’s not much that scares me anymore.”_

“…Except for me.” Maddie turned around. She was in his blind spot, where his eyes edited out his nose.

Godzilla snorted. _“Not in the slightest.”_

“How about now!?” Maddie suddenly shouted, popping into his field of vision.

 _“Gah!”_ Godzilla jumped. _“Don’t_ DO _that! You scared the… I mean, you almost made me lose my monster.”_

Maddie smiled self-satisfactorily, as she laid back against the bridge between his eyes, watching as the sprite copy moved across the screen. “Told you.”

 _“Very funny.”_ Godzilla humorlessly commented. _“I wonder, if I die of a heart attack, do you get a heart attack too?”_

Maddie frowned in contemplation as Godzilla played one of the monster fights, some weird flying thing named Moguera. “Dunno. Does our connection go that far?”

 _“I don’t know, I’m not a doctor.”_ Godzilla snarked back, as he took out Moguera. _“Pssh, that was easy. Give me somethin’ difficult to fight.”_

She noticed that whenever Godzilla was feeling particularly egoed up, his voice would become deeper and gravellier, as opposed to the younger, teenage voice his mind normally took on.

 _“Who’s this one? Gezora?”_ He derisively snorted. _“Thing looks like a jellyfish that sprouted legs.”_

Maddie sighed, shaking her head as she leaned back into Godzilla. He was all nice and egotistical now… the worst parts were yet to come.

No one had played past the end of the level, for good reason.

Eventually, he took out Gezora as well, heading for the final monster on the board.

 _“Biollante?”_ Godzilla blinked, reading the text. _“Wasn’t that Geizler’s pet project before he got vaporized?”_

“Yeah.” Maddie nodded, as Godzilla started the fight.

 _“Huge, immobile rose, ooh I’m so scared.”_ Godzilla sarcastically grumbled. _“In all seriousness though, the only guys who knew about the thing are all the ones here.”_

“Except Gottlieb.” She corrected. “He left, remember?”

 _“Gottlieb… you think he had something to do with this?”_ Godzilla wondered, as Biollante’s sprite changed. _“WOAH! This little rose bush has got some teeth!”_ He commented, as Biollante wandered around.

“Maybe.” Maddie granted. “But there wasn’t a note or anything else in the package.” She recalled. “Nothing implying it was from him.”

 _“Sounds like we’ve got a mystery on our hands.”_ Godzilla rumbled mischievously, as he took down the plant Kaiju. _“A rose bush. Send something harder my way next time, yeah?”_

Maddie gulped, as Godzilla was sent back to the map screen, the music all going dead. One of the board pieces was replaced by a red tribal mask, forever locked in a pained grimace… that, or it was snarling.

“G…” Maddie whimpered, leaning back into him. Seeing that face instilled a deep, uncontrollable dread in her, even without knowing what would happen. “Maybe you should stop playing now.”

 _“Ah, nonsense. I’m on a roll!”_ Godzilla replied, his eyes glancing at her. _“Hey… you okay, Mads?_ ”

“I’m telling you… it’s scary.” Maddie determined. She was twelve, well past the point of spooky shadows being able to frighten her.

But this was no spooky shadow. It was something ancient, evil, that hit every single part of her primordial brain and sent it into overdrive flight-or-fight.

 _“Hey…”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“You don’t actually think it’s haunted… do you?”_

“I don’t know…” Maddie admitted. “But it freaks me out… seriously.”

 _“Mads,”_ Godzilla gently twitched his face muscles, the equivalent of a supporting or comforting rub since he couldn’t perform the gesture with his hands, _“It’s just a video game. Worst case scenario, you get some nightmares, which I’ll more than happily chase off. It can’t hurt you, and it can’t hurt me.”_

“Okay…” The girl reluctantly closed her eyes, leaning into his scales as he started the level.

Whatever Godzilla was expecting to find, he wasn’t prepared for what he saw. Not that he was scared, just… horribly, horribly confused. The place was a nightmare, a hellish wasteland that looked like it had blood on the ground, and orange mountains in the distance… that, or it was fire. More likely fire, as the background danced back and forth, far beyond the tech of any other video game Godzilla had played in his human life.

A deep, rumbling, bit crushed drumming, not unlike a heartbeat, radiated from the speakers, and Maddie swallowed, turning her head away, pressing into Godzilla even further, if that were physically possible. A single word was at the top of the screen, a command, replacing the life and power bars entirely, standing out against the empty black sky.

‘ **RUN** ’

Godzilla blinked, making no sort of input, thinking this was a cutscene or something. After a moment, he finally pushed right on the D-pad, slowly moving through the level. No enemies, no obstacles… just that heartbeat and the burning sky in the background.

 _“Run?”_ Godzilla repeated mentally. _“Run from what?”_

You know that feeling you get where your ears suddenly pop for no reason and it hurts so much all you can do is close your eyes? Something popped in his ears, and Godzilla winced, screwing his eyes shut.

He dimly registered Maddie jumping, squeaking in fear as something happened on screen, but Godzilla himself was out of it for too many moments to react. When sound finally returned, that heartbeat drumming was gone, and Godzilla opened his eyes.

His sprite on the screen lay on the ground, bleeding out, dying.

 _“Aw, come on!”_ Godzilla groaned, oblivious to Maddie’s fearful shaking. _“That’s no fair! I’m not playing as that butterfly thing because of rotten luck! Mads,”_ He addressed, _“Hop down and hit the reset button, would you?”_

Maddie took a shaky breath, but allowed Godzilla to lower her down, and jumped off, running to the console across the platform, under a cover from the elements, and hit the reset, before hopping back on Godzilla’s snout.

He navigated to the password screen, snorting. _“Wow, some password screen music right here, huh? Makes me feel like I’m playing Friday the 13 th. Then again, it’s kinda fitting. ‘You have to fight all the monsters again, mwuahaha!’”_

Maddie notably remained quiet, shaking her head, as Godzilla put in the password.

 _“Wait, what the-? I don’t have to fight the monsters again?”_ He chuckled. _“Cool!”_

Maddie closed her eyes, listening, as Godzilla started the level again.

He started walking to the right slowly again, before a deep, digitized roar emanated from the speakers, and something came onto the screen.

It was giant, bigger than the sprite of Godzilla, with deep burgundy-brown skin, the color of dried blood. It walked on four spindly legs, a set of clawed, dinosaur-like arms protruding from its chest, with a scorpion-like tail. The red tribal mask from the map wasn’t just glued to its face, it _was_ its face, and it was still caught in that same, snarling pained frown.

 _“OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT THING!?”_ Godzilla started freaking out, pressing the D-pad down harder.

While a friend freaking out at a game you’d played before might’ve been funny, it only made the feeling of dread Maddie felt worsen.

She didn’t want to watch, but her eyes were forced open by her own curiosity, as Godzilla pushed forward, running from the Red Kaiju. He dodged obstacles, smashing, ducking, and jumping over blocks in the air, all with the intent of getting away from the other monster.

Maddie’s jaw dropped, her eyebrows shooting up as she witnessed it.

Godzilla was getting far. Farther than _anybody_ else who’d played it, even Serizawa, who had quite the finger dexterity. At first, Maddie thought Godzilla was just that good…

But the monster was moving slower than it normally was. It was an irrational thought on her part, but something told Maddie the game _knew_ who was playing it, and was reacting accordingly.

The screen stopped scrolling, marking the end of the level, as Godzilla walked to the boundary, triumphantly pumping his fist.

 _“YEAH!”_ The sea monster laughed uproariously. _“Can’t kill me this time now that you can’t hide like a little bitch, can you!?”_

Just as those words crossed the titan’s mind, before he made it off the level, the Red Kaiju stopped…

And _looked_. Directly at the screen. It wasn’t an uncommon thing in video games, making a sprite look out at the player, but this time… it was different.

There was an intelligence behind it. A… sinister quality. It wasn’t looking at the screen.

It was looking at _Maddie and Godzilla_.

The girl yelped in fear, covering her eyes, as Godzilla went dead silent as the level ended.

_“…Maybe now it’s a good time to stop.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	2. Game Day, Part Two

Finding the strength to go on had been difficult. Maddie, after the Red Demon looked out at them, was so thoroughly freaked out it was honestly kind of heartbreaking, while Godzilla --even though he was starting to get a bit freaked out as well-- was intrigued.

Who had made this game?

Why did they make it?

Why did nobody else get as far as him?

And why send it to Monarch?

Those questions, some of them at least, would be answered if he just kept playing, Godzilla suspected. That was the point of games. They were challenges, tests of skill…

They were meant to be played through, beaten. If he put it down now, the game would become just a small curiosity locked away deep within the corridors of the base. People would forget about it, and whatever mystery lying in the code of this game would forever remain unsolved.

But if he _did_ beat it… If nothing else, he’d get a credits screen. And then that could be used to find whoever made this thing and get some answers. Or there’d be no credits screen, but he’d have the satisfaction of seeing it through to the end, even if the ending was atrocious.

That was the thing with most video games. The ending may be the goal, but it’s only an excuse. The gameplay was the main excuse.

As he silently ruminated on that, Maddie looked into one of his eyes.

“Are you going to keep playing?” She inquired, in a tone that was suggestive of deeper fear.

 _“…Yeah.”_ Godzilla rumbled after a moment, making his decision. _“I’m gonna keep playing. You wanna go back inside?”_

Maddie looked like the idea had tempted her, but she quickly shook her head. “No.” She resolved, sitting down, steeling herself. “I’m not letting you go through this freakshow by yourself.”

 _“Hm.”_ Godzilla humorously snorted, his animalistic face wrinkling with the equivalent of a smile. _“What would I do without you?”_

“Get stuck in the base’s supports again, probably.” Maddie shot back. “Now, get this show on the road.”

 _“Right.”_ Godzilla nodded. _“Trance, here we go… these are some odd names for worlds.”_

“Yeah…” Maddie agreed. “Pathos, Trance… It may sound reaching, but those sound like things that effect the mind.”

Godzilla raised an eyebrow, taking in the board of the new world. The map music for the place was odd, sort of slow and screeching, halting and distorting like a bad TV transmission or something. The icons of the place didn’t help to ease the mood, some of them looking like clusters of diseased cells, while other were blue, cold, tentacle-like mountains. _“Sorry?”_

“Pathos, it’s a rhetorical thing that appeals to the emotions of the audience.” Maddie recalled from her English lessons. “Trance… well, that’s obvious.”

 _“Definitely ominous.”_ Godzilla slowly nodded, not to throw Maddie off. _“Whoever made this has a real sense for the dramatic… Good with atmosphere though. Love to see what he’d do with a movie budget.”_

There was one icon on the board that stood out from the rest, a lone white question mark, the only one of its kind on the board.

Maddie frowned, looking at the projector screen. “What’s that?”

 _“…I dunno.”_ Godzilla admitted. _“Wanna check it out?”_

“No, but I can’t stop you, can I?” Maddie sighed, leaning back into her friend.

 _“Nope!”_ Godzilla heartily admitted, moving his sprite to the question mark.

He was transported into a blank black level, free of any enemies or obstacles. The bars at the top of the screen were now completely gone, nothing taking their places. Only a few things stood out in the black, those being Godzilla’s sprite, a blank, unmoving face sprite, and some text.

A jaunty, almost goofy tune played in the background, and the two blinked as they read the text above the face.

‘DO YOU LIKE THE GAME?’ It asked, with a yes box and a no box on either side of the face.

“Um…” Maddie blinked, rubbing the back of her head. “What is this thing, a quiz?”

 _“Looks like it.”_ Godzilla agreed. _“Hm… this is the fourth world; difficulty should start ramping up here. Maybe this is like a bonus stage, giving out powerups and stuff to make it easier to get through?”_

“Makes sense.” Maddie concurred. “Easy question though.”

 _“Yeah.”_ Godzilla rumbled, moving over to the yes box, and jumping. The Face responded with a happy, smiling yellow expression, holding it for a few seconds, before going back to neutral.

“G, what the hell!?” Maddie squeaked. “You’re _liking_ this mess!?”

 _“Hey, it’s entertaining.”_ The sea monster defensively grumbled. Instead of booting them out to the map like he had expected, another question appeared.

‘ARE YOU AFRAID?’

Godzilla snorted, moving over to the no box. The Face made a surprised expression, tinted orange.

“G!” Maddie hissed.

 _“What? I answered honestly and quickly.”_ He replied. _“Besides, you know me. I’m not afraid of anything.”_

Maddie sighed, shaking her head. “Just get through the rest of it.”

‘ARE YOU OVER 18?’ The Face asked.

Godzilla responded with the negative, causing the Face to assume a sickly green expression, presumably sickness or disgust.

‘DO BIRDS HAVE TEETH?’

 _“What the… do birds have…”_ Godzilla mentally spluttered. _“WHAT!?”_

“Maybe a trick question?” Maddie assumed, as Godzilla nevertheless picked no, and the Face took on a pink hue, looking… flirty, for lack of a better word.

‘IS PEANUT BUTTER GOOD?’

“Yes.” Maddie instantly stated, as Godzilla moved to the no box regardless. “You don’t like peanut butter!?” She incredulously asked, as the Face took on a different sort of green sick expression, sticking its tongue out.

 _“It’s dry, saps all the moisture out of the mouth, and sticks everywhere.”_ Godzilla growled. _“If there’s one thing I hate more than Ghidorah, it’s peanut butter. DOES THE MOON RO- OF COURSE IT ROTATES!”_

Maddie laughed at Godzilla’s quickly intensifying exasperation. Despite the game being rather creepy, the way he was handling it with levity and humor was a great comfort to her. “I’m guessing the Face here isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.”

 _“’DO YOU HAVE A JOB?’”_ Godzilla repeated. _“Hm… does saving the world from giant monsters count as a job?”_

“I dunno.” Maddie bit her lip. “You really don’t get _paid_ for it, and even if you did… You’ve only saved it from one giant monster.”

 _“Two.”_ Godzilla corrected. _“There was this flesh-spider made from human bodies and- oh, nevermind, I’ll just pick yes.”_

The Face gave a response with a raised eyebrow, becoming blue. The quiz, in all honesty, was just so… random. The best thing Godzilla could liken it to was a five-year-old with a social disorder or something like that just rapidly spewing out questions the moment they crossed their mind.

‘DO YOU LIKE HURTING PEOPLE?’ That should’ve been the first thing to signal that this Face was anything but what it seemed, however, as Godzilla answered and the question suddenly changed tracks to the most stupidest question they had ever heard, that being ‘IS THE SUN HOT?’ Godzilla and Maddie promptly forgot about that one, sinister inquiry.

The Face’s questions were all like that. Just… so _random._ It was like someone had programmed the game to just select from a random table of prompts with no regard for the appropriateness of the questions.

The final three questions, ‘DO YOU HAVE A DOG? IS THE PRESIDENT GOOD? DOES YOUR DOG LIKE THE PRESIDENT?’ started leading Godzilla and Maddie to believe that maybe, just maybe these weren’t random, that behind all those questions there _was_ something tying them together…

Only for, on answering the final question, for them to be booted out back into the world map. No extra power, no boosted health, nothing to suggest in any way that the Face’s quiz had been beneficial to them at all.

 _“That was…”_ Godzilla blinked in confusion. _“Interesting.”_

Thoroughly confused, but not otherwise thrown off, Godzilla moved his sprite to a green, chest-like structure, a temple if he was guessing correctly.

Four worlds in, the game was still throwing surprises their way.

What was it going to conjure up next?

\----------

The green temple levels, of all the levels in the game so far, was by far Maddie’s favorite. The temple level design was full of green, staring statues with three eyes that didn’t look place out of a Buddhist temple or somesuch, against a dark black background. New enemies, a ghostly apparition with a long beak or a trunk, and a flying bat-like creature with a horse skull, flew threw the level, seemingly showing up at pure random.

The best part was that weird techno dance mix soundtrack playing in the background. It was odd, but infectious in a fun sort of way. It made her want to just drop everything and dance.

Which is, by chance, exactly what she did.

Godzilla, though Maddie was still in his blind spot, could feel it, and shook his head. _“You’re ridiculous.”_

“Hey, it’s good music!” Maddie defended herself, flopping back as Godzilla moved to the level exit.

 _“It_ sounds _like somebody composed it while on an acid trip.”_ Godzilla shot back. _“Hm… maybe that’s why this thing’s so weird. Someone was making a game about me, and then they had a bad trip.”_

He moved his piece back to a blue mountain level, and sighed, getting ready for another boring slog through an empty level. Godzilla held down right, and just waited, only to be struck off-guard when something came careening in from the right side of the screen.

“AH!” Maddie jumped in surprise, being startled as well, as the music suddenly changed from the calm (albeit creepy) piano piece, to the boss theme for Moguera.

 _“It’s Moguera!”_ Godzilla jumped in surprise, having to go on the defensive as the strange flying machine shaved a bit of his life bar down. _“What’s he doing here!?”_

“I don’t know!” Maddie just as cluelessly responded. “Kill it!”

The battle lasted for two minutes, Godzilla not taking any big risks to kill Moguera since he didn’t have to worry about the normal time limit for monster fights in the ground levels. Moguera was dealt with swiftly enough, but that left the question:

 _“Why the hell did that thing show up in a ground level?”_ Godzilla wondered.

Maddie frowned. “I don’t know…” Even when the game was ‘normal,’ it never threw boss monsters at them during a ground stage. Why wait so long to do so too? Was this just another part of the difficulty curve, or did the game somehow bug out spawning an enemy and summon the wrong creature?

Admittedly, Maddie didn’t know a lot about video games, but those two seemed like the most likely options. Especially the first one.

The game seemed to like throwing curveballs to mess with them.

 _“Ah, whatever, it doesn’t matter.”_ Godzilla shrugged it off, moving his sprite to the monster piece named ‘Veran.’ _“Games pull all sorts of nasty tricks.”_

The monster called Veran could best be described as a skeletal centaur. Only, instead of a horse’s body, it was more like a… spiked shell, almost like if Bowser from the Mario games decided to start crawling on four spindly legs. A long skeletal torso, a ribcage missing arms, stuck out of the front of the body, and a bird-like head was stuck forever looking backwards, away from its enemy.

The thing was _bizzare,_ but not that creepy. It fired _missiles_ of all things from its chest, and after that little surprise knocked Godzilla off-guard for the first time, he quickly recuperated, learning the monster’s attack patterns.

The only thing Veran seemed to have were those missiles. On pure accident, Godzilla tail whipped one out of the air, and discovered that was the correct method of dealing with the boss. When all the missiles were tail whipped, the monster would become stunned, like it hadn’t been expecting that, and become stunned long enough for Godzilla to just run up and completely tear the other monster to shreds.

It was the easiest boss monster Godzilla encountered, something he more expected to be placed in the first or second levels, not four worlds in. This was either a _really_ long game, or someone had issues with designing the difficulty curve.

The next monster was Hedorah.

“Ugh.” Maddie unpleasantly winced upon seeing it. “Now _that_ is creepy.”

It wasn’t hard to see how it earned that opinion from her. It possessed a long, snakelike body, again skeletal in its appearance. When it wasn’t slithering, it was pulling itself along with two spike-like arms and summoning those flying horse-bat things with a high-pitched, agonizing 8-bit screech.

The word ‘Skullcrawler’ crossed Maddie’s mind as a potentially more apt name for the monster, but as Godzilla had shot back upon her making that remark, its name wasn’t important, only killing the damn thing.

It was obvious to tell that, out of all the boss monsters encountered thus far, Godzilla found it the single most aggravating and difficult to deal with. It wasn’t like it was killing him over and over and over, but the thing was crafty in the worst sort of way. The moment it summoned its little lackeys, Hedorah would start attacking in double-time, making it a difficult balancing act of having to choose between attacking Hedorah, dodging Hedorah, attacking the bats, or dodging the bats.

If there was one thing Godzilla couldn’t stand about video games, it was enemies that were smart about how they attacked you. ‘Smart’ was just code for ‘being able to pull out the most ridiculous bullshit at the drop of a hat.’

But, like all the monsters Godzilla had faced, Hedorah fell in the end.

Godzilla was _King_ of the Monsters for a reason. He wasn’t just mindless brawn; he had the brains to use that brawn… And then a lightbulb flickered over his head.

 _“Hey,”_ He rumbled to Maddie, _“You know how back on Earth and Mars those bases were what we had to destroy to move onto the next level?”_

“Yeah?” Maddie recalled, a questioning tone in her voice.

_“Do you think if we just go to that base now, before taking out the last monster, we can move on to the next world before our red-faced ‘friend’ shows up?”_

Maddie blinked, honestly considering it. It was worth a try, if nothing else. “Sure. Why not?”

Unfortunately, it had seemed whoever programmed the game had prepared for this eventuality. As Godzilla moved his piece over to the base, he was met back with a message telling him there was no monster to be fought. That would’ve been enough for him to get the message…

But then the game took control _away_ from Godzilla, moving his sprite to the last monster on the board.

He had started this ride in the driver’s seat… but now he was just as helpless as a passenger as everybody else.

Godzilla growled. He was the three-hundred (approaching four-hundred) foot talk king of the seas.

 _Nobody,_ not even some stupid game, wrestled control away from him like that. It had no _idea_ who it was dealing with.

 _“Mads,”_ Godzilla addressed.

“Yeah?” The girl replied as Godzilla started the fight against the last monster, Orga.

 _“Prepare yourself.”_ He warned, doing the same himself.

The best way to describe Orga was like a twisted funhouse mirror reflection of Godzilla. With a huge hunched back, short spindly tail, absolutely massive arms, and a set of legs that looked too small to support its body.

Orga attacked by using a punch and a heat beam not unlike Godzilla’s fired from a hole on its shoulder. It was easy enough to dodge the beam, the weapon being able to be ducked under, but trying to dodge the punch was useless.

Nevertheless, Godzilla got Orga down to half health, and that’s when the Weirdness Factor™ took hold.

“Oh my God!” Maddie shouted in surprise as Orga’s jaw unhinged. “It’s trying to swallow you!”

 _“I can see that.”_ Godzilla rumbled back. He fired a heat beam down the monster’s gullet, correctly assuming that it was now a weak point. All video games pulled that, no matter which ones. Even the weird fan games of mysterious and dubious origins.

The act immediately took off four bars from Orga’s life meter, and when Godzilla waited for the enemy monster to repeat the attempt to swallow his sprite, he repeated the action himself, and Orga was destroyed.

These boss battles, though sometimes difficult, were actually kind of creative and fun. Whoever made this thing obviously had a passion for it. It was kind of heartwarming…

But, those thoughts and the warm, fuzzy feelings they incurred soon vanished, as the Red Demon’s mask appeared in place of the base.

Maddie took a deep breath, grabbing part of Godzilla’s scaly skin like it was a lifeline, as he remained silent, and started the level.

The moment those heartbeat drums started, even with the screen not fading in all the way, Godzilla started hauling ass to the other side of the screen, dodging the obstacles much like he had before.

That deep, pained roar rang out from the speakers, and soon, _It_ was back on his tail.

The Red Demon’s jaw unhinged, swallowing obstacles in its path effortlessly as its legs skittered, following Godzilla with an almost furious determination.

It sounded insane, but… Godzilla was sure that the collection of pixels and code _remembered_ the last level, and his taunting words…

And it was now determined to punish him for it.

Maddie and Godzilla both unconsciously synchronized their breathing as he was determined to make it through the level, all his focus on keeping the sprite away from the Red Demon.

Even looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight, they couldn’t be sure if it was silly or well-founded… but neither of them was going to say a damn word.

Godzilla exited the level, but just before he did, the Red Monster stopped and looked again.

Maddie yelped, wrenching her eyes shut like she had before.

It should’ve been cause for anything but concern. A repeat meant it was programmed… But no.

All creatures _know_ when they’re being watched. Their skin tightens, the hairs on their body stand stiff.

So, in that moment when the Red Demon glared at the screen, furious that its target had escaped again, Godzilla and Maddie both felt it. They weren’t playing the game.

The game was playing them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	3. Game Day, Part Three

By this point in the game, Godzilla and Maddie were both terribly, horribly confused, and even a little bit frightened. None of the game’s eccentricities were connecting in a way that made any coherent sense. It was like… someone had taken a look at elements for a game, threw them in without rhyme or reason, and called it there.

The only thing driving the two on at that point was their shared desire for answers. That, or a state of fulfillment. Only by beating the game would they be able to get the answers they sought, and if there was no answers to be had, there would at least be a sense of closure…

At least, that’s what he hoped.

Again, if this was someone’s idea of a fan-game, a passion project to show Godzilla just how big fans of him they were, there’d be credits, or something.

Actually… that kind of left Godzilla troubled. Making video games was expensive. Even if you were a hobbyist, doing it on your own time, you’d need all sorts of highly specialized developer tools that were likely to be very, very expensive. And that wasn’t a bootleg cartridge Maddie had put in, it had the Nintendo seal!

 _NONE_ of this stuff was adding up. A rich fan wasn’t _out_ of the question, but… that was a lot of time and effort! Godzilla would respect that… if he wasn’t so confused. Maybe a developer company was working on it, wanted him to see what they had and if he liked it, but they wanted to make sure he played through it first himself so they scrubbed the copyright to force him to keep playing.

Damnit, all of this was so confusing. And since they started playing, Godzilla and Maddie got absolutely _zero_ answers.

All they could do was soldier on, and hope that _something_ would materialize.

Loading up into the next world, Dementia, had taken place with just as much bated breath and anticipation as loading up into Trance. The levels were all new, if the map screen was to be trusted. Ice plateau icons, strange blue buildings, and grey mountains were the theme for this world. And, right at the start in front of Godzilla’s piece, was another question mark icon.

He briefly entertained the thought of skipping the question mark, but another part of Godzilla’s mind told him that perhaps each question mark level would be different, like a mystery box.

So, putting the slow, suspenseful techno music played on the piano out of his mind, Godzilla moved his piece over to the question mark, and started the level.

Another quiz level opened up, and Godzilla recoiled at the first question.

‘CAN YOU SWIM?’

 _“I fail to see the relevance… but yeah.”_ Godzilla moved over to the yes box, causing the Face to become happy.

‘DO YOU LIKE FISH?’

“Um, no.” Maddie cut Godzilla off. “Gonna have to go with a solid ‘no’ there.”

Godzilla glanced at his friend. _“You got something against fish?”_

“I can’t _stand_ fish.” Maddie shuddered in disgust. “Just like how I can’t stand Shoney’s.”

 _“Alright.”_ Godzilla grumbled, picking no for Maddie, as the Face took on a disgusted expression. _“’CAN PENGUINS FLY?’ What kind of-“_

“Just pick no.” Maddie commanded. “I don’t want to be doing this all day.”

 _“Wow.”_ Godzilla huffed, picking no. _“What’s got your undies in a wad?”_

“Nothing.” Maddie crossed her arms, leaning back. “I just don’t want to be doing this for any longer than we need to.”

 _“’CAN IT SPIN IN ALL DIRECTIONS?’”_ Godzilla blinked. _“What’s ‘it?’”_

“Hm… I don’t know.” Maddie tilted her head. “Just… guess.”

_“You think that’s a good idea?”_

“None of these have any right or wrong answers, it looks like, otherwise it wouldn’t ask us questions like the fish one.” Maddie outlined. “So just guess.”

 _“Alright, fair enough.”_ Godzilla granted. _“’DO YOU BREATHE OXYGEN?’ …That’s a good question, actually. Do I still need oxygen to breathe? I mean, I have gills and lungs, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”_

Nevertheless, Godzilla picked yes, causing the Face to take on a buck-toothed mauve expression.

The next question should’ve been another tip-off to the Face’s sinister nature, but again the two were so dumbfounded and making fun of it, they didn’t register it.

‘DOES IT TASTE GOOD WHEN YOU BITE A WOMAN?’

“’D-DOES IT TASTE-‘ _WHAT!?”_ Maddie spluttered.

Godzilla remained quiet for a few moments. _“Hey, Mads-“_

“I’M NOT LETTING YOU BITE ME!”

 _“IT’S FOR SCIENCE!”_ Godzilla argued. In fairness, he was just doing it to get a rise out of her at this point. He knew well enough that biting her could only end… badly.

So, Godzilla chose no, and the last two questions came.

‘IS IT NIGHT WHERE YOU ARE?’

 _“No.”_ Godzilla selected, the Face becoming a cyclops for… some reason.

‘DO YOU LIKE CATS?’

“Yes.” Maddie glared at Godzilla, practically forcing him to choose the positive option.

‘IS WATER WET?’

 _“…I’m not even going to dignify that by being offended.”_ Godzilla grumbled, choosing yes.

‘HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN A BONE?’

Maddie frowned. “The guys that made this _really_ didn’t have a sense of boundaries, did they?”

 _“No they did not.”_ Godzilla concurred, picking yes. There was that time, back when he was human, he’d fallen off his bike and broken his finger.

‘DO YOU LIKE YOUR JOB?’

 _“Hm… saving the world from giant monsters…”_ Godzilla grinned. _“Hell yeah, I like it!”_

And then came the final question.

‘WOULD YOU LIKE A NEW MONSTER?’

Godzilla had _no_ idea what the Face was talking about, or what sort of effect it would have on the game. Knowing _his_ luck, it’d be a new monster alright… on the opposite side of the playing field, but then again…

It was like a kid sticking their hand into the fire wanting to see what would happen. He was just too curious.

Godzilla selected yes and was immediately booted back to the map screen. It took the two of them to register it but replacing the question icon was a new sprite.

And Maddie started freaking out.

“It’s an armadillo!” Maddie gushed happily, leaning closer to the screen. “Oh my God, it’s an armadillo monster!”

Godzilla blinked, glancing at Maddie. _“You like armadillos?”_

“I _love_ armadillos!” Maddie returned. “Me and my brother, we used to have one as a pet named-“

Godzilla selected the new monster, and Maddie’s blood instantly ran cold.

“…Anguirus.” Maddie scooted back from the edge of Godzilla’s snout, pressing herself against the space in between his eyes. “G… Who made this?” She fearfully asked.

 _“I don’t know…”_ Godzilla growled. _“But when I get my hands on him…”_ They messed with Maddie.

Big mistake.

“I-I mean,” She stuttered, trying to laugh. “It’s just coincidence, right?”

 _“Don’t worry, Mads.”_ Godzilla rumbled, _“I’ve got you.”_

“Right, right…” The girl nodded. “Let’s just… keep playing, then.”

Godzilla selected the Anguirus piece, intent on taking the new monster into a level for a test drive. The grey mountain levels stood out as a good choice, as if they were anything like the blue mountains from previous levels, there wouldn’t be any enemies, just a wide-open space to fool around in while heading for the goal. The thing that most stood out about those levels though was the water.

It had a sort of… transparency effect to it. In his experience, Godzilla had NEVER seen transparent layers like that in a video game. The cartridge had to be packing some serious on-board tech to make that happen.

Which only made the question as to WHY SOMEONE WOULD SEND IT TO A BASE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN WITH NO RETURN ADDRESS even more puzzling.

Anguirus could better be described as armadillo-like rather than an actual armadillo. He walked on all fours, rolled into a ball, and had scaly skin, but that was where the similarities ended. In fact, he was more like a dinosaur rather than an actual armadillo.

Godzilla decided he rather liked Anguirus. He could roll into a ball to become more maneuverable and tank more damage, at the cost of coming from the power meter, and he fired a sort of sonic blast from his mouth, similar to the 8-bit Godzilla’s heat beam.

Taking Anguirus through the level, Godzilla experimented around with the attacks of the new monster, diving into the water, taking out piranha enemies and strange bottom-feeder enemies with ease.

After navigating to the end and being moved back to the board screen, Godzilla moved his own pixel piece to one of the blue structure icons, starting another level. This one, unlike the others he’d encountered up to this point, had a rather foreboding title screen.

‘UNFORGIVING COLD.’

The level had an almost castle or palace-like design, comprised of blue and light blue tiles, with a black background designed to look like windows looking out into space. Ice-blue faces lined the roof of the structure, expressions forever frozen in a wide-jawed scream. A grey static-like effect covered the screen, and there was no question what it was supposed to be. Snow.

An endless looping of a low, quiet choir, mournfully chanting echoed in the background, and Maddie shivered. Though the level was creepy, there was nothing too very unsettling about it.

And yet, when the level loaded, and whenever one of those levels would be played through, the duo would experience a deep-seated dread, like what they were getting close to when they approached the end was not something meant to be drudged up. It was in that moment, the two realized something.

The game was making them _feel_ things. Not like say a game with a story, where the events on screen could make someone feel happy or sad, or frustration from getting caught doing the same repetitive tasks.

It was like… You know how sometimes, a person gets so incredibly angry, even though they haven’t _said_ anything to you, you still knew they were furious because you could _feel_ it in the air, like their mood was sending out waves to make you feel the same way? It was like that…

Only a million times more intense.

It was just a game, they thought. It’s daytime, nothing can get us, the two thought. Every one of their instincts said they were safe…

_So why did they feel like they were in peril?_

Doing their best to push the feelings out of their mind, Maddie watched as Godzilla navigated to the first boss monster, Baragon.

The thing was _huge._ Its head barely scratched the top of the screen, and the ground was noticeably _lower_ to account for its size. Like most of the rest of the monsters they had been fighting, Baragon had an emaciated, almost skeletal appearance, with a horned, rhino-like head. Well, it didn’t _actually_ resemble a rhino, it was just the closest thing Godzilla could liken it to.

Baragon noticeably had no arms, forcing it to get close and kick to attack, but it _did_ have something up its sleeve for its special attack…

Maddie yelped, unable to hold back laughter despite everything the game was putting her and Godzilla through. “Did a gatling gun just come out of its crotch!?”

 _“HEY!”_ Godzilla directed to the monster on screen. _“PUT A CONDOM ON THAT DAMN THING!”_

Maddie couldn’t see through her furious giggles. “S-Stop!”

 _“UNPROTECTED SEX CAUSES DISEASES!”_ Godzilla purposefully egged on Maddie’s laughter. It was a welcome distraction from the doom and gloom the rest of the game had been.

“I-“ Tears started falling from the girl’s eyes, as she tried to get her laughter under control. “I can’t!”

 _“EXAMPLE ONE, GONORHEA!”_ Godzilla began, lining up to unleash a heat beam. _“PRIMARY SYMPTOM: BURNING!”_

“G!” Maddie slapped his scaly skin. “G, stop!”

 _“I’ve got about a dozen more of these lined up!”_ Godzilla returned, as Baragon fell.

“Oh…” Maddie’s giggles died down. “Oh my God…”

 _“And thus, another potential vector was eliminated.”_ Godzilla snorted, as he was booted back to the board screen.

The next ground-level type was a large arctic level. As could be inferred from the name, it was a large icy plateau, with the occasional pocket of water to swim around in. The level was filled with the same piranhas and bottom-feeder enemies from the mountains underwater, but on land, there were these large, slender bipeds with featureless heads possessing vents instead of a face

Underwater, there was another new foe that resembled the vent-faces, walking around on two legs. However, these ones had spiked heads, almost like underwater mines, and when they were destroyed or otherwise come into contact with, the spikes on the heads would rocket out, pushing the player back.

After Godzilla came back out onto land, he encountered yet another new enemy. A mini boss.

Maddie blinked, double taking. “Is that… a walrus?”

 _“Uh… yeah.”_ Godzilla blinked, starting to fight back against the walrus creature. It didn’t have any weird attacks, appearances, or quirks, it was just…

A walrus.

In the ridiculousness, Maddie started humming a tune. “I am the walrus, goo goo g'joob…”

 _“Not helping, Mads.”_ Godzilla minutely shook his head.

A very curious thing happened once Godzilla defeated the walrus kaiju. Instead of dying like _every other monster in the game had_ , it simply turned tail and ran. Godzilla blinked curiously.

 _None_ of the other monsters in the game turned around like that. Not even the playable ones. An odd detail, but then again, he supposed it would look _more_ odd had the walrus just started scrambling backward.

The walrus disappeared off the screen, and soon it was time for the rest of the bosses.

The first one that Godzilla went after was Manda, a long snake or eastern dragon-like kaiju, colored an aqua blue. It was kind of refreshing, in a way. Still otherworldly, but something he was experienced with.

And it was a challenging one. Not because it would pull out bullshit moves from nowhere, but because it was crafty. It would catch onto what Godzilla was trying to pull and switch up tactics. Whoever programmed this boss had some _serious_ talent.

In time, though, the flesh-and-blood mind triumphed over the computer, and Manda fell, just as every boss had before.

Taking a quick detour to an arctic level to refill on health and power, Godzilla then guided Anguirus to the next boss monster, Gigan.

The sea monster was confused however, as the arena was totally blank, only Anguirus standing in the space.

“Um…” Maddie blinked, looking at the blank space. “Did the game bug out again?”

Godzilla was beginning to think the same thing, which only deepened as one of the piranha enemies suddenly appeared in the air, just floating in the air.

An ear-splitting screech tore through the speakers, almost blowing them out, as the monster finally made its entrance from the other side of the screen, ripping the piranha to shreds.

Maddie and Godzilla both jumped as Gigan waited for no further preamble, immediately going to attack. Unlike most of the monsters so far, Gigan was more… humanistic in appearance, though still obviously a beast. The best thing Maddie could liken it to was an Ogre, only its torso was its head.

The thing was _fast,_ and immediately, Godzilla was put on the defensive. He was glad he chose Anguirus for this fight. If he’d chosen himself, he wouldn’t have the ability to tank the damage as well and would’ve almost certainly lost to the monster. Still, it was a desperate fight, Godzilla having to keep on the move constantly as standing in one spot meant the unnaturally quick monster had an easy shot with its blood-colored laser weapon.

Eventually, through a combination of quick maneuvering, button mashing, and what Maddie assumed was sheer dumb luck, Gigan was defeated, and it was time to move on to the last boss monster.

SpaceGodzilla.

 _“No… way…”_ Godzilla himself breathed. “SPACE _Godzilla!? That’s awesome!”_

Admittedly, the coolness of it all wore off pretty quickly. SpaceGodzilla had a rather devious strategy that caused no end of pain.

It would fire out these crystals from its shoulders, which would then embed in the floor and become spires. If the spires were not destroyed, SpaceGodzilla could then consume them to regain health, or detonate them on purpose as a devastating explosive attack. Destroying the crystals via the heat beam was not an option, as it seemed to actually _regenerate_ the crystals instead, so Godzilla was limited to physical attacks.

Once the crystals were destroyed, he could get close enough to SpaceGodzilla to punch, and it _wasn’t_ easy. SpaceGodzilla returned every kick, every tail whip, every punch with the same ferocity, and then some, trying to get Godzilla away so he could generate more crystals to regenerate with.

It was a game of them whittling each other down, and by the end of it, Godzilla only had _one segment_ of the fifteen-segment life bar.

But that was irrelevant. The time for fighting was over.

It was time to run.

Maddie swallowed, grabbing onto Godzilla for strength, and the mutant steadied himself, moving to the tribal mask.

They could’ve stopped there, no harm done. Absolutely nothing would be lost if they stopped the game, and their minds probably would’ve been grateful…

But they were curious. Too far deep in now.

As terrifying as the ‘RUN’ levels were, they were just another obstacle in the way of the end. An obstacle they had to beat.

Godzilla pressed the button, and Maddie turned her head, closing her eyes.

The _microsecond_ the level loaded, Godzilla put Anguirus into his rolling form, thankful that there was no power requirements in these levels, and started beating feet to the right side of the screen. So far, everything was the same, only there was a river of red water under everything… naturally, they assumed it was blood.

Eventually, they heard that expected bellowing, and the Red Monster came tearing in from the left side, keeping pace with Anguirus. Soon, the ground came to an end, and Godzilla sent Anguirus into the pool of blood.

Unexpectedly, the Red Monster didn’t follow. It just stood there… glaring. Godzilla wanted to be happy about this development, but he wasn't, because he knew.

That wasn’t the glare of ‘Rats, you’ve gotten away again!’ but a glare of ‘You’d better keep your ass moving. Because I _will_ catch up to you.’

Godzilla kept Anguirus moving under the surface of the blood river, not letting up on the button for even a second, as the bellowing roar sounded again, sounding… different, muffled.

 _“AH!”_ Godzilla jumped as the Red Monster came tearing in from the left side of the screen, in a new body tailored to swimming.

The chase continued, and soon, obstacles started to get in the way. Bottomless pits that had to be jumped over, mines materialized and fell from the sky, and during it all, the Red Demon was on Anguirus’s tail, snapping at the armadillo-kaiju with a xenomorph-like inner mouth.

Avoiding the mines, the pits, and the inner mouth was all a desperate juggling game, and midway through it all, Godzilla wanted to reach through the screen and yank out that mouth with his bare hands.

Eventually, Godzilla came up on a platform floating above the river. The exit, if his intuition told him correctly.

Leaping out, the Red Monster made one last, desperate attempt to grapple Anguirus and drag him back under, but it was all for naught, as Godzilla finally hit the level exit.

Maddie let out a sigh, flopping back against Godzilla, as the heartbeat-drumming died down, and the next world began to load.

Entropy.

Also known as decay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	4. Game Day, Part Four

The sixth world, Entropy, was massive. Easily the largest world in the game by far. And, to top it all off, it was chock full of new stuff.

The only icons that repeated were the sprites for Godzilla, Anguirus, that third monster he still hadn’t played as, the enemy base, and the question mark. Everything else was new.

“Wow.” Maddie’s eyebrows shot up upon seeing it all. “Six worlds in, and they’re _still_ cramming in new stuff.

 _“Impressive.”_ Godzilla remarked. _“Whoever made this had some real creative talent on their side.”_

Running on routine at this point, Godzilla moved his piece to the quiz icon, ready for another barrage of questions from the Face. However, instead of the usual jaunty tune, there was the dramatic and slightly sinister password screen theme playing in the background.

It was enough to throw the two flesh-and-blood beings off guard as they had expected the normal tune

However, the two would find the music becoming appropriate fairly soon.

The first two questions were the Face’s usual fare, a babbling incoherent mess more suited to what a five-year-old would ask, those being ‘DO YOU LIKE ICE CREAM?’ and ‘DO YOU LIKE CLOWNS?’ the questions began to take on a more… sinister tone.

‘IS TIME SLIPPING THROUGH YOUR FINGERS?’

‘DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?’

‘DO SOME PEOPLE DESERVE TO DIE?’

‘IS IT SAFE TO GO OUT AT NIGHT?’

‘DO YOU FIND IT HARD TO SLEEP AT NIGHT?’

‘HAVE YOU EVER KILLED ANYONE?’

‘DO YOU WANT TO KILL ANYONE?’

‘ARE YOU ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING?’

‘DOES LIFE HAVE ANY REAL MEANING?’

All of those questions had one, common linking thread. One that Godzilla and Maddie picked up on almost immediately, and in conjunction with the world name, there was no mistaking it now…

Death, decay, existentialistic dread… all were going to be a very big part of this world from here on. Maddie couldn’t lie, she was feeling that same deep-seated dread that she had felt before while Godzilla was playing the ice level, but something told her it was there to stay.

They were in far, far too deep now.

There was, however, one last question from the Face that broke the mold, and confused Godzilla and Maddie something severe.

‘DO YOU LIKE MOTHRA?’

Godzilla grimaced.

He _hated_ playing as Mothra. The only thing the big dumb bug was good for was flying, and even then, she was useless because whenever she tried to fly over an enemy, the killbox extended up to hit her! Plus, her attacks were utterly _weak_ , and whenever she got hit, she rocketed back to the other side of the screen and got stunned! The first two worlds, he had to navigate Mothra to the exit the same as his own sprite, and it was the single most tedious task he’d ever done. Well, aside from playing this game.

So, Godzilla answered with that in mind, and the Face’s response was chilling.

Every single question before that, whenever Godzilla answered, it would just move on to the next question, and in the case of the final ones, boot him out back to the map.

But this time…

The Face responded. Not just with a change of expression,

But actual _words._

‘TOO BAD!’

As the two worked to overcome their shock, they were kicked back out to the map, and were even more shocked to discover that Anguirus and Godzilla’s pieces on the board were gone _._ Not locked, not unplayable, _gone._

“Oh, that son of a bitch!” Maddie scowled, looking at the screen. “You should’ve said yes!”

Godzilla huffed, mirroring the girl’s expression as best he could. _“Somethin’ tells me that it would’ve been the same outcome either way… but next time I see that face, I’m beating the hell outta it.”_

“Yeah!” Maddie egged him on. “Kick his ass! …if he has one.”

Sighing, but deciding not to waste any more time, Godzilla selected Mothra, and moved her towards the lower path.

The first level of this new world was a dark, thick forest, populated by strange creatures that could best be described as furless, antlerless deer. The odd thing was, the deer creatures never attacked, even when struck first. Why wait so far into the game to introduce passive creatures?

Something about this was wrong. Wrong, wrong, _wrong._ The deer weren’t even the only ones to fill the jungle, there were also sloths attached to trees, and raptor-like things that ran on their hind legs, upright like a person.

And _none_ of them were hostile.

 _“I don’t like this…”_ Godzilla muttered his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Maddie frowned, tilting her head. “Why not?”

 _“Game design 101, Maddie.”_ Godzilla retorted. _“You don’t put a level filled with only passive enemies in the_ sixth _world. And not make it so common. I’d expect something like this in world one, not world six.”_

“It is kinda… odd.” Maddie agreed. “Like… watching a virtual ant farm or something. They’re all just going about their days.”

 _“What a waste of resources.”_ Godzilla grumbled, as he reached the end of the level. _“There was just no goddamn point to that, was there?”_

The next level Godzilla moved to had a television for an icon. He briefly wondered what that could mean, as he hit the button to start. Instead of an actual level, however…

There was just… a picture. A loop of someone with a bear’s head for a face licking an ice cream cone.

Ah, so that’s what the Face’s question was about.

Admittedly, the two were unsettled by it, not because it was creepy in its own right, but because it was just so… out of left field.

“G?” Maddie called.

 _“Yeah?”_ Godzilla replied.

“I’m frightened.”

_“Yeah, let’s go.”_

Godzilla hit a button on the controller, and he was booted back out to the map screen. Selecting an hourglass icon, he started that one.

The hourglass levels, naturally, were themed around time. Clocks, hourglasses, sundials, and other methods of timekeeping comprised the levels’ structures, and they had a mechanic that could’ve made for an interesting game in its own right, in Maddie’s opinion.

The hourglass levels all featured hourglass pickups that affected the level. Blue ones that would slow down time and populate the levels with prehistoric creatures, a red one that reset the movement of time and fill the area with enemies from the game’s ‘present day,’ and then a green hourglass that would rapidly speed time up, and fill it with creatures that (if Maddie had the pattern correct) were intended to be from the future.

Damnit, this was all such an intricately designed mess, and they _still_ had no clue who was behind it.

Another new type of level was the toxic dump levels. Those places were gray, lifeless, stripped of color and devoid of anything other than the player monster. It was honestly creepier than anything else in the game. Everything there was all so… pristine and intact, yet utterly void of anything else.

Godzilla guided Mothra along, _eventually_ coming across some enemies, green desiccated mummies with bird heads in place of humanoid ones. Those were dispatched easily enough, even by Mothra. Indeed, that seemed to be the theme of the level. Horribly mutated things that looked pained by their own existence.

Godzilla tried not to read into it as the game taunting him.

Eventually, he came to the end of that level as well, over a pool of blue slime. The water broke, and something stuck its head out. A sea serpent of some sort with a beak attached to its head. The monster’s attacks were annoying, but not especially devastating, and Godzilla found that the most tedious part was simply trying to whittle down its health with Mothra.

That seemed to be the running theme of this world. Time… wasting time, losing time, just… time. It was odd.

Nevertheless, Godzilla took down the sea serpent, and was taken back to the map to move again. This time, he moved to a white recolor of the tree icons scattered about. As one might expect, it was a snow-themed rendition of the same winter forests from before.

Oddly, unlike the rest of the stages in this world, Godzilla and Maddie didn’t feel dread or any otherwise negative emotions upon starting it. The music was calm and soothing, making them both just want to close their eyes and slip away. The place was… innocent. Untouched. It was like a small reprieve from the constant dread and anxiety they’d been experiencing up until that point.

Yet, the moment Mothra transitioned to the next screen, it was all shattered, broken as the music abruptly stopped. Faintly in the background, the twelve second loop from the Unforgiving Cold level began to rise, sending a chill through both of them.

The screen scrolled, and Maddie covered her mouth in horror as the ground was covered in the corpses of those strange deer animals, the snow piled on their preserved remains speaking for just how long they’d been there.

She didn’t like seeing animals hurt. Not even the virtual ones.

Godzilla rumbled gently, reminding her he was still there, as the screen kept scrolling, and he felt a minute bit of relief. There was still one animal alive, a sloth with snowy white fur. But… the relief didn’t last long.

Faster than Godzilla could conceivably react to, a pack of the raptor enemies came charging in from the right, teeth coated in red, their clawed arms dripping blood. They looked feral, and they were going for the sloth.

Right in front of their eyes, the sloth was ripped apart alive by the pack of voracious animals, sending red pixels cascading everywhere, and Maddie let out a choked sob, covering her eyes.

That was _it._ Godzilla decided. Whatever sick fuck programmed this thing was going to have him to deal with for hurting _his_ Maddie. Well, not that she was _hurt,_ but she was upset, and that was the same in his book!

For now, directing his ire at the raptors, Godzilla had Mothra rip them all to shreds, tearing through them like a cyclone. There was one last screen of the level to get through before it was back to the map screen.

But, transitioning to the final screen, Godzilla and Maddie were both surprised to see it have a totally different look than the rest of the level. As opposed to being in a forest, Mothra was now at the edge of a lake, an enormous grey moon hanging above the water.

As Godzilla was about to take Mothra over the water, a crack suddenly tore through the moon, splitting it in half. As the moon broke apart, it revealed a humanoid figure inside, and they realized something.

The moon was an _egg_ , and it was hatching.

The figure dropped into the water, and just when the confusion was too much, something broke the surface of the water, snarling and screeching like the same feral raptors from before.

Looking back on it, even with hindsight, the duo had no _idea_ what the moon beast was supposed to be. Something evil, that much was apparent, but aside from being designed to scare, there really was no rhyme or reason to it.

But figuring out the reason didn’t matter at the moment, only killing it. The thing was fast, and Mothra might as well have been a literal moth compared to it. Even with Godzilla, the moon monster would’ve posed a significant challenge, and he was having to fight it with _Mothra_ , the weakest monster in his arsenal.

If he even _had_ an arsenal left.

The only thing potentially saving the fight for Godzilla was the fact that the monster didn’t have any bullshit special attacks like SpaceGodzilla’s crystals.

By the time he took it down, Godzilla was at the end of his rope, Mothra being reduced to only a few bars on her life meter.

He would’ve felt victorious…

But what happened next… sent the two proverbially packing.

A screech tore through the base’s speakers, and the screen went black. Up until that point, the two had wanted to believe that the game was entirely harmless. It had a few eccentricities, yes, but not _evil._

But what happened next, blew all of it out of the water.

Red text appeared on the black screen. A name.

‘ **WILLIAM.’**

“G…” Maddie breathed fearfully. “It knows your old name…”

Godzilla felt his blood run cold. The _only_ people who knew who he used to be were the Castle Bravo higher-ups, and the party. None of _them_ would make anything like this, and the lead suspect he and Maddie were thinking off, Gottlieb, hadn’t been let in on the secret before he left.

So… how did it know?

Godzilla kept trying to rationalize it any way he could. Maybe it was some sort of sick, twisted, ‘I know what you did last summer’ sort of thing?

Yet despite that, another part of him knew. _Knew_ that this was a message. And it was intended for him.

The screen went dark for another moment, before another word popped up.

**‘DIE.’**

And then it popped up again elsewhere. And then again, and then again, and then again. Funny thing was, it seemed to be arranging in a pattern, spider-like, almost like…

Oh, _Hell_ no. This ‘game’ was _not_ using the Mind Flayer to taunt him! Godzilla growled, barring his teeth at the screen.

The word kept laying itself over the darkness, to the point where it was overlapping on itself. It abruptly stopped, and with a hellish screech, formed into a face, roaring at the two outside.

Maddie screamed in terror, covering her eyes, as Godzilla jumped in fear.

The Red Demon’s face snarled at them, before fading, the screen going to black.

\------------

It took the two a long while to recuperate from that. If it hadn’t been apparent before, it was now.

This ‘game’ had intelligence. And it wanted nothing more than to harm them.

Maddie spent the past thirty minutes curled into a ball on her side, shivering even though they were in tropical weather, trying to regain some of her composure by using Godzilla as her rock.

Godzilla himself was shaking as well… but not with fear.

This game was _taunting_ him. Taunting _Maddie_ , tormenting them both. It wanted them to be scared.

He would _not_ be scared.

 _“Mads…”_ He rumbled, reaching up to his snout. All it would have took was a single mistake, one slip, and she’d be gone because of him. But, despite that, he was still a living creature. He could still feel things on the tip of his finger, no matter how small they were, and in this moment, his friend needed the comfort. _“It’s gonna be all right.”_

“H-How can you say that?” Maddie stuttered back, shaking in response as Godzilla carefully reached down to touch her. “This thing is… is evil!”

The _microsecond_ he made contact with her, he stopped, and started minutely moving his finger back and forth.

 _“I know you’re scared.”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“And that’s good, scared keeps you fast. But right now, I need you to get angry.”_

Maddie blinked, looking to his eyes. “Angry?”

 _“This game’s been jerking us around for the past two hours, playing us for fools.”_ Godzilla growled. _“You know what I say? We’re not gonna take it! It wants us to be scared, I say fuck that!”_

“Yeah…” Maddie uncertainly nodded, standing up. “Yeah!” She repeated with conviction. “Fuck that!”

So, the conclusion was obvious. All that taunting, all that morbid imagery, all of it could only be so that Godzilla would stop.

He wouldn’t stop. He’d show this ‘game’ who’s boss. He’d play through to the end, beat it, and then just to piss on its grave, melt it down and turn it into a Barbie doll! Screw answers, he was going to make this game his bitch just to piss it off.

So, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders, Godzilla steeled himself as Maddie did the same, staring at the screen with nothing more than utter contempt.

The rest of Entropy was nothing more than tedium. Pure and utter tedium. It was as if it had heard the challenge, and was rising to say ‘prove it.’

The first level after defeating the moon monster was a labyrinth, comprised of gold bricks, that made Mothra look positively tiny. For the first time since being forced to play as her, Godzilla was glad he had Mothra, cause there was no way in hell he’d have been able to beat the labyrinth stages with anyone else.

The power and life bars at the top had been refilled, and Godzilla pressed on.

To say that the labyrinth was large would be a _gross_ understatement. The place had twisted, winding paths that looped back on themselves, and obstacles that would occasionally take him to a different part of the map.

If the world Entropy was the manifestation of the Face’s questions, then this level was the perfect representation of the question: ‘ARE YOU ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING?’

Still, he could take it on the chin, he supposed. No freaky moon monsters, jumpscares, or the like. Just a maze. A big, creepy maze, but a maze. Something normal.

…even if the _imagery_ in the place was odd.

About ten minutes into the maze, the two came across some sort of… vat with an outflow pipe on the side. A flying machine whizzed overhead, carrying one of the raptor creatures in its claws, and stopped above the vat, dropping the living being inside. Soon after, the raptor emerged from the pipe on the side, colored gold.

There was no rhyme or reason to any of this anymore. The game was just trying to unsettle them at this point.

Still, if nothing else, the vat marked the exit, and Godzilla returned to the map screen.

He selected one of the level icons around the bosses and was transported to a cliff level. Like the mountain levels, there were few enemies to be seen, but this time, passive creatures populated the area instead.

They were multicolored bipeds with what looked like coral growths for heads, and they were walking aimlessly out of a hole in the ground, marching off screen to the edge of the cliff. They didn’t stop, they didn’t stop to jump off, they just walked off.

“…I can’t help but wonder why?” Maddie muttered, frowning.

 _“Why what?”_ Godzilla asked.

“Why _any_ of it!” Maddie frustratedly threw her arms up. “The quiz levels, the tv screens, these things, that vat thing in the labyrinth, ALL of this damn game’s tricks! This entire thing feels like a fever dream!”

 _“…I think it’s just trying to confuse us now.”_ Godzilla guessed, guiding Mothra to the end, where a large creature like a bird’s head walking on four spiky legs was devouring more of the strange little aliens.

“Well, it’s working.” Maddie huffed, leaning back into Godzilla as he beat the monster.

With the mini-boss dead, they were in the final stretch of Entropy. Knowing the game’s tricks, and actually _eager_ at this point to face off against the Red Monster again, Godzilla moved to the first boss of the world, Battra.

Battra started off as a larva, capable of scuttling across the ground, firing beams from its head as weapons. Midway through the battle however, it shape-shifted into a flying form too similar to Mothra’s to be a coincidence.

And as Godzilla fought Battra using Mothra, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sort of sick pleasure and irony. It wasn’t his own, that much he knew. It had to have been the game’s.

It was enjoying watching Mothra and Battra fight for some reason.

Battra was defeated, and Godzilla could’ve sworn he heard laughter coming from somewhere, but he brushed it off. He was on a mission.

The next boss of Entropy was Megalon. It was a bipedal reptile-like kaiju like Godzilla, but with weapons. It started the fight by charging, which was easily dodged via Mothra’s flight capabilities. Of course, while he was glad to have Mothra’s flight, he would’ve much rather had his virtual self’s heat beam, or Anguirus’s rolling attacks.

In the end, Megalon was tedious and a persistent boss to overcome, but overcame it Godzilla did.

There was just one boss monster left in Entropy, but first, Godzilla had to get through one last ground level before he could progress.

It was another labyrinth, like the gold one, only this labyrinth was dark, an oppressive shadow hanging over the place.

He wandered aimlessly through the maze for about a minute, before Maddie gasped as the screen went dark, the only thing visible still Mothra.

“G!” Maddie exclaimed. “Your health’s dropping!”

Godzilla looked at the life bar, and his eyes narrowed as he watched the bar dropping. So, that was the gimmick for this level. He assumed that the light would eventually return, or that he had to find another light source, before whatever it was in the shadows killed him completely.

The dark labyrinth was, fortunately, much smaller than the gold labyrinth seemed to be. It only took about three minutes to navigate to the exit, and it was onto the next boss.

“Should you play another level?” Maddie looked to him. “Try to get some health back?”

Godzilla briefly entertained the idea but shot it down. There was _no_ predicting the game’s tricks at this point anymore. Entering a level now could be devastating.

So, steeling himself for what was sure to be a difficult battle, Godzilla moved his piece over to the boss, and got ready to fight.

 _“Mecha-Godzilla?”_ He read the text at the top, before glancing at the boss monster which looked just like a flipped version of his virtual self’s sprite. _“Doesn’t look so ‘Mecha’ to me.”_

“G, look!” Maddie directed. “Your health’s all back!”

 _“Hey, yeah…”_ He smiled as much as he could. _“Alright chums, let’s do this!”_

With the battle in full swing, Godzilla focused on taking down his virtual duplicate. After shaving down three life bars, the organic exterior of Mecha-Godzilla burned away, revealing the steel skin, rivets, and robotic seams underneath. 

With its robotic nature fully revealed, Mecha-Godzilla began to fire missiles from its hands, as well as a rainbow-colored laser from its head, forcing Godzilla to keep Mothra moving around. He’d expected the rest of the battle to proceed as such, but after getting Mecha-Godzilla down to half health, yet another transformation took place.

Mecha-Godzilla’s sprite shattered, reforming into a quadrupedal form with an enormous human face on the front of the body.

And immediately, Mecha-Godzilla’s capabilities did a complete switch up as well.

The robotic beast pulled out all manner of weapons, deadly laser beams, missiles, and kicks. However, while it got such a sharp increase in firepower, it was balanced by losing some of its maneuverability, becoming slower and not able to jump around the level so much. Soon, it just became a matter of staying out of Mecha-Godzilla’s line of fire, while using Mothra’s poison powder attacks to whittle it down.

And thus, as Mecha-Godzilla died with a metallic scream, exploding into a shower of silver pixels, it was time for the last level of Entropy. The chase level.

Maddie clenched her jaw, not such as scared as she had been, but determined to see this through to the end with Godzilla, grabbing onto a scale to let him know she was there. And to make sure he was there, not that she had to given how big he was.

The chase level for Entropy, startlingly, wasn’t the simple run to the right ahead of the Red Monster.

It was a _labyrinth_. And knowing the Red Monster’s propensity for cheap tricks up to this point, it was likely to appear in a form suited for this level.

Regardless, the _instant_ that heartbeat started, Godzilla started moving, taking every second he could use to his advantage. He’d need it, he felt.

The seconds ticked by as Godzilla frantically moved, quickly backtracking and trying to find the exit, before he heard that furious, pained roar yet again, followed by the sound of flapping wings.

You know, there were some days Godzilla _hated_ being right.

Yet, he didn’t let it get to him. Not anymore. The game wanted him to be scared, so he was going to be the opposite. Calm, collected, focused on the situation, but not from a place of fear.

So, he kept Mothra moving, evading the Red Monster as best he could. And it wasn’t easy. Whenever Godzilla took a path that blocked the Red Monster off from him, it would just smash through the boundaries of the level and start chasing him again.

But, each crucial second those delays to the Red Monster gave Godzilla might’ve spelled the difference between his success or defeat.

The exit was found while the Red Monster was trapped behind yet another wall, and the level ended, loading the next world.

Godzilla and Maddie looked to each other, smiling, as the next world was loaded.

This game wouldn’t beat them. Not the two of them.

Ready to face any tricks the game could throw out at them, the two turned as the seventh world came into existence.

Extus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	5. Game Day, Part Five

The Extus board was rather refreshingly simplistic in its design. That’s not to say it wasn’t large, but it was symmetrical, a simple square of honeycombs that covered the screen.

And, rather fortunately, Godzilla was relieved to find that he had his original set of monsters back, himself and Mothra. He would’ve _liked_ to have Anguirus back as well, but he had to take what he could get.

Besides, Sprite Godzilla would probably be more useful in the long run. Taking a quick stock of the board, Godzilla noted there were two types of temple levels, a white and a pink, an icon with more modernistic buildings, icons for a pyramid-themed stage, TV screens, a quiz level icon, and two more he couldn’t quite figure out. On the right side of the board, as usual, were the enemy boss monsters and base.

Maddie inhaled, jaw dropping as she looked at the icon. “G, look!”

 _“What?”_ He questioned. _“What is it?”_

“It’s a dragon!” Maddie pointed out gravely. “A _three-headed_ dragon!”

Godzilla growled. _“Ghidorah…”_ The game knew exactly what buttons to push. It knew he would keep soldiering forward, so now, it was pulling out all the stops.

It’d have to do more than that to beat him.

Godzilla selected his piece, and as was routine by now, moved it to the quiz icon directly adjacent.

He didn’t know what to expect from the face this time, but it wasn’t… what he got.

Immediately, Godzilla and Maddie were assaulted with the single most random, incoherent series of questions the face had produced up to that point… as well as some of the most disturbing.

‘DO ELEPHANTS BREATHE?’

‘HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MOLESTED BY A FAMILY MEMBER?’

‘HAVE YOU EVER RAPED ANYONE?’

‘IS GREEN YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?’

‘IS THE COMPUTER THE PINNACLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY?’

‘ARE YOU A TOUGH GUY?’

‘CAN YOU FLY?’

‘CAN YOU STAND ON YOUR HEAD?’

‘DO YOU HATE RACCOONS?’

‘DO YOU FEEL BLAME?’

‘WOULD YOU LIKE A NEW MONSTER?’

‘WILL YOU MISS ME?’

Addressing the eleventh question, Godzilla couldn’t be sure what would happen this time. Knowing the way the game had operated so far, he was half afraid that if he chose yes, _this_ time it would be some sort of hellish boss monster popping in out of nowhere. But, if the game was _actively_ fighting back against him and Maddie now, he’d need every advantage he could take to get to the end.

So, he chose yes.

And then came the last question… Will you miss me? Honestly, that kind of disturbed the duo a bit, and made them feel… oddly sad.

That was the first time the Face had _ever_ referred to itself in the first person.

And, if text could convey emotion, it was obvious the Face was sad. Of course, the big question was, what was the Face referring to? Was this the last quiz level in the game?

Despite it being, well, quite a quirky character, the Face’s quizzes were usually welcome breaks from everything else the game was throwing.

So, Godzilla navigated to yes. The Face made an expression that could best be described as melancholy, before they were booted back to the map screen.

On the space where the quiz level had been was a new monster, but like none Godzilla had seen in the game up to this point. It was a giant biped, like a cross between a man and a bat, with wings on his arms.

Godzilla picked the new monster and moved to a white temple. Immediately, he was met with an objective.

‘FIND THE GEM.’

 _“Gem, okay, easy.”_ Godzilla rumbled, taking out the new, blue-furred monster for a test-drive.

This new monster, whose name was Solomon according to the life and power meters, was a _BEAST._ And no, that wasn’t a comment on his physical appearance.

Playing as himself made Godzilla feel powerful. Playing as Solomon made him feel _unstoppable._ Solomon was _fast_ , about as fast as the Red Monster from the chase levels, and not only that, but he could fly as well. He had a kick, as well as a heat beam, and even though he couldn’t duck, he could tank damage better than even Anguirus in his rolling form.

The Face’s final present was a helpful one indeed.

Solomon loaded into the white temple, a blue beam cutting off the path to the level exit. So, it had to be assumed the gem they were supposed to find was to the left.

While Maddie estimated it would’ve taken Godzilla at least five minutes of careful attacking and navigating the stage, being careful not to get overrun by enemies, Solomon was able to blast through it like a steamroller. He still took damage, sure, but nothing that couldn’t be handled.

Eventually, Godzilla guided Solomon to the end of the path, facing off against a strange flying mini-boss, with a crystal embedded in its sternum. It fell easily to Solomon’s heat beam, and Godzilla claimed his prize, going back to the beginning.

He guided Solomon off-screen, and they were met with quite possibly the most confusing thing the game had thrown at them so far, which was something.

Solomon was rendered in an aside shot, smiling self-satisfactorily, as his red eyes sparkled. Under him was text.

‘STILL THE BEST: 1973.’

Maddie blinked, recoiling. “… _what_?”

 _“Um, maybe it’s, uh…”_ Godzilla stammered. _“Alright, I’ve got no fuckin’ clue.”_

It wasn’t like it was _creepy_ or anything, just confusing.

The next stage Godzilla selected, he chose himself to play through, a _bit_ reluctant at using Solomon again. Godzilla didn’t think the other monster was bad news or anything, but he didn’t want to rely on Solomon as a crutch.

Surprisingly, he’d leveled up to 12 since the Face had taken him away in Dementia. Not that he was complaining. If it made it less likely he’d die in the course of these levels, he was all for it.

The pyramid levels were desert-themed, with fitting instrumentation in the background that Maddie would describe as bazaar music, all tinny string instruments and winds. It was kind of disconcerting, in a way, because while the visuals were still catching up…

The console was starting to produce music in studio-recording quality. Now that the game wasn’t worried about hiding its otherworldliness, it was pulling out all the stops.

But, the rest of the level was refreshingly… normal, in a way. Enemies you would expect to see in normal desert levels, like giant ants, reptiles, sandworms ripped straight from the pages of Dune, with vultures flying overhead.

Even the boss creatures had a familiar quality to them. They were two giant scorpions, one green, the other red. The green one used a poison attack that slowed down the player, while the other scorpion shot fire from the tip of its stinger.

It was a recipe for disaster, but Godzilla got lucky, and was able to dodge the green scorpion’s attacks so that it slowed down the orange one. With one of them immobilized, it was easy to take down the other, and then go back around to defeat the remaining one.

 _“See?”_ Godzilla snorted. _“Spiders, scorpions, they’re all the same to me! They all go squish!”_

Chuckling to himself, Godzilla selected a piece, and stopped.

Maddie’s eyebrows shot up as she beheld the same thing. “You can move _anywhere_? What’s the point in playing the rest of this world then!?”

 _“…The game wants us to go to the boss monsters.”_ Godzilla realized, selecting Solomon.

“Are you?” Maddie inquired.

 _“Nope!”_ Godzilla peppily replied. _“It wants me to do that, I’m gonna do the opposite. Hm…”_ He narrowed his eyes, considering where to go next. _“Traffic lights, I’ll do those.”_

Maddie snorted. “Traffic lights, seriously?”

_“Well, what else are they supposed to be?”_

As the level loaded, they got their answer. Totem poles. The eyes of each one was as creepy as all get out and left both of them feeling like they were being watched. About halfway through the level, Godzilla finally noted that there were no enemies, at all. Odd, after everything going down in the last world.

But he supposed he should count himself lucky. With that level complete, he was halfway through Extus already. Godzilla moved his piece over to the grey buildings and got somewhat of a shock when the level loaded. It was a normal city, not out of place on earth. The place was filled to the _brim_ with destructible buildings, as well as some enemies, and Godzilla did the first thing his instincts told him,

He beat the everloving snot out of each and every one of them.

Maddie looked on the sight a bit worriedly. “Uh, G… Don’t you think you’re enjoying it a bit _too_ much?”

 _“Nonsense!”_ Godzilla shot back. _“It’s fun! I’d play a whole game that’s just smashing cities. Finally makes that line from my theme song make sense!”_

Maddie tilted her head. “Which one?”

_“There goes Tokyo!”_

Maddie blinked, frowning. “That’s not your theme song!”

 _“Oh yeah, then what is?”_ Godzilla retorted.

“Uh… Uh… I don’t know.” Maddie admitted. “But it can’t be that one, because then we have to pay royalties every time you start humming it!”

 _“Pssh.”_ Godzilla snorted. _“I’m not gonna let a little copyright law scare me. Besides, since they wrote it without asking for permission to use my name first, it’s only fair that I don’t have to pay royalties.”_

Maddie shook her head in exasperation as Godzilla made it to the level exit.

The next level was some sort of industrial complex or laboratory, that Godzilla chose Solomon to navigate through. The primary enemy fought in this type of level were robotic drones, visually similar to Nintendo’s Robotic Operating Buddy. Insectoid cyborgs flew overhead in the level, and there were strange tanks of green glowing fluid, holding even stranger creatures that looked like the Xenomorph from Alien. It wasn’t a certainty, but sometimes as Godzilla passed the tanks, they would shatter open and the aliens would jump out.

They were slippery little bastards, but easily dealt with, offering little more than a jumpscare.

The final level type in Extus was the pink temple. Those were… odd. They were filled with anatomically correct human hearts, floating around in the air, with no enemies. The only objective was to destroy the hearts, get the life and power refils, and get out. Honestly, it felt more like a bonus level than anything else.

But soon enough, it was time to fight the boss monsters.

The first was Gorosaurus. Choosing to see how Solomon would fare in the boss fights, Godzilla chose him to use in the battle.

Gorosaurus, as its name suggested, was a dinosaur kaiju. It didn’t have much in the way of special attacks, all it could do was a measly slap that didn’t damage Solomon much. However, as it was nearing the end of its life, it did pull out a new move.

 _“Did-“_ Godzilla spluttered. _“Did it just do a kangaroo kick!?”_

“Yeah, he did!” Maddie laughed. “Oh my God, that’s awesome!”

Gorosaurus was no match for Solomon, and they were rewarded with the ‘STILL THE BEST: 1973’ screen, and a thumbs-up from Solomon.

The next boss monster was Kumonga, a spider kaiju. Its primary stratagem of attack was to jump and claw with its mandibles, immobilizing the player with a stream of spider silk. Godzilla briefly entertained the idea of using Solomon again, but since the final boss of Extus was Ghidorah, he saved him for later.

Soon enough, Kumonga was dead as well, and it was time for the final showdown.

With Solomon’s new powerful capabilities added to his roster, Godzilla was ready as he entered the Ghidorah battle.

Maddie was the first to recoil, seeing the boss as the stage loaded.

It wasn’t Ghidorah, it was _Gezora_. Though Godzilla was confused, he took down the other monster quickly, Solomon barely suffering any damage. But, before Gezora died, something unexpected happened.

It was replaced by Moguera.

 _“What the hell?”_ Godzilla muttered, taking down the flying machine. _“What’s this all about?”_

Maddie gasped as she had an epiphany. “This must be it!”

_“And what’s ‘it?’”_

“The penultimate world!” She guessed. “Before it kicks you into the final one, it’s going to make you fight all the bosses in the game before you can go on!”

 _“Great.”_ Godzilla sarcastically muttered.

Some of the bosses were pushovers. Would’ve been even if he was playing as himself. Other bosses were absolute _nightmares,_ even with Solomon’s beefiness on Godzilla’s side. The only saving grace was that, after each boss, his health would shoot back up to half if it was below that point.

But soon, Mecha-Godzilla was dead, and the text changed.

‘GHIDORAH.’

Steeling himself for what was liable to be the most difficult fight in the game, Godzilla waited for Ghidorah to appear…

And Maddie instantly cooed. “AWWWWWW!” She squealed, looking at the little bat-like gremlin on the screen with just a single head. “IT’S SO CUTE!”

_“…I’m not getting you one of those things as a pet.”_

“SHUT UP, YOU’RE NOT MY DAD!”

Godzilla shook his head, but walked over to the flying bat creature, taking it down with two slashes from Solomon’s claws.

However, instead of being booted back to the map, Solomon remained, and Godzilla could soon see why.

The bat-creature morphed into a snarling samurai helmet, and multicolored body pieces came flying in from off-screen, assembling a new creature.

‘CHIMERA’ the text atop the screen read.

This was the _true_ final boss of Extus, Godzilla guessed, and it had _earned_ its name. It was a combination of every last boss Godzilla had fought up to that point, rolled into a centaur-like body. And, not surprisingly but certainly _not_ good, it utilized _every_ attack from the bosses that made it up.

As the battle with the Chimera went on, Godzilla was forced to come up with a new strategy, past wildly flailing Solomon’s attacks like he had been. The Chimera was able to dish out massive amounts of damage, taking out entire sections off the life meter with a single hit, while attacks against it barely did anything.

But, Godzilla could use the game mechanics to his advantage. In boss encounters, there was a forty-second time limit that counted down from the very moment the fights began, before booting someone back to the board.

While the boss would regain _some_ health, it wouldn’t more than a single segment or two. So, Godzilla purposefully focused on chipping away at the boss, and letting the time run out, before he would swap out monsters, sending the one with the lower health to the heart stage to regain health.

One interesting part about Chimera was that its health bar was colored differently, each section corresponding to a different segment on its body. This effectively meant that Godzilla had to prioritize the sections on Chimera’s body that were the most pressing threats and take them down first, making the battle go even slower.

Eventually, the Chimera’s body parts were taken down one by one until it was just a head, and that was destroyed as well. The last boss monster was destroyed.

Time for the chase.

However, instead of the Red Monster’s face appearing where the enemy base was, it was different. A crucifix. Godzilla had never been an especially religious being, which was best demonstrated by the fact that he chose to name himself GOD-zilla, but iconography like that always stirred something in him.

And why change it up now? Was Maddie wrong, and the Chimera was the _final_ boss of the whole game instead of just Extus, and this was just an epilogue level or something? Not likely, the end of games usually wrestled control away.

So, positioning Solomon, Godzilla tried to prepare himself. Yet, as he tried to enter the level, he was repeatedly met with a message stating that Solomon was unable to enter the level.

So, it was back to himself.

The moment it started Godzilla was running. The last levels were always chases, _always_.

Yet, as Godzilla passed through the level, something about it deeply unsettled him. It wasn’t the red hellscape the rest of the chases had been, but a graveyard, tombstones lining the ground.

[A slow-moving, mournful orchestral piece with a choir chanting was playing in the background.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAZ1aUAz9og) Maddie felt a teardrop fall from her eye involuntarily, as the requiem continued. All of it was so… confusingly somber. Was this the end of the game?

It might’ve well been, it had an aura of… finality to it. And even Godzilla himself found himself unsettled, like someone watching a funeral from afar.

After two minutes of nonstop walking, Godzilla came up on something he wasn’t quite sure what to make of. A massive silvery-blue statue, floating above what looked like a church. It was obviously intended to be female, judging by the contours of the body. It stood watch over the gravestones, hovering in place, like an angel.

The Angel, even behind a screen, radiated a feeling of warmth that wrapped around Godzilla and Maddie’s souls. It was calming, in a way, peaceful. The first uncontestably good thing the two had seen come out of this game so far.

But… just as quickly as the mood settled over them, it was shattered by the appearance of the Red Monster, and the materialization of that same sinister command it kept giving at the top of the screen.

The landscape of the level twisted and warped, the gravestones and church crumbling, the ground becoming what looked like bloodsoaked bodies stitched together as fire roared in the background. The _only_ thing to remain untouched was the Angel. Even the music started to become disharmonious, shrieking like those who were playing it were being hurt as they did so.

As the Red Monster charged towards Godzilla’s sprite, the Angel let out a mighty shriek, slamming down into the Red Monster like a spike, pinning it to the ground.

The Red Monster shrieked with fury, turning its attention to the Angel instead of Godzilla. It tore off the Angel’s legs, ripping into its throat with its spiked tail, and unhinged its jaw, consuming the humanoid whole as Godzilla scrambled to leave.

The two should’ve felt frightened, they supposed. But instead, they just felt angry.

A burning, overpowering rage that grasped their very being. The game was sentient, they knew, but that Angel was different. It was sentient in its own way, and the feelings it radiated were different than the machinations of the game.

It had sacrificed itself so that they may move on to the next world.

They felt grateful for the Angel, but uncontrollable hatred to the Red Monster.

As Godzilla moved to the exit screen, Maddie found it within herself to speak up.

“You’ll die for that, you son of a bitch.” She glowered.

The Red Monster’s eyes flashed a furious scarlet, as it turned to face the screen and screeched.

Maddie remained steadfast, unmoving, as she stared down the monster, and the screen went black as Godzilla left the level.

 _“…Mads?”_ Godzilla addressed.

“Yeah?”

_“I just want to let it be known, that was awesome.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	6. Game Day, Part Six

World eight loaded up, Zenith. And there was no mistaking it this time.

It was the _final_ world.

Always in video games, there was a sense of foreboding finality upon reaching the final stages. Typically, the environment reflected that, most of them becoming hellscape levels of death and torment leading up to the final boss of the entire game.

And Zenith was no different.

The map board was a deep, scarlet red, the color of fresh blood. Every icon, even the ones like the quiz level, was the same color, except for the monsters on the board. The background music was an eerie, otherworldly whistling tune, played on a theremin or other such instrument, and the entire screen just _radiated_ malice.

If there was just _one_ good thing Godzilla could pick out, was that he still had Solomon and Mothra, and not only that, but Anguirus had made a mysterious return.

The game just giving him a monster like that without any prompt at all? Something was up.

Maddie steadied herself, grabbing onto a scale like she had up to that point, as Godzilla scrolled to the other side of the screen.

Zenith only had two bosses. Something called Destoroyah, and another Ghidorah. He wondered for a moment if it was going to _actually_ be Ghidorah this time.

Deciding not to waste any more time, and just wanting to see the game beaten at this point, Godzilla moved back to his side of the board, and selected the quiz level.

It was not _at all_ what he’d been expecting.

The password screen music, heavily distorted and clipping, was blaring in the background, as the answer boxes were tinted red. The words ‘GET OUT’ loomed at the top of that screen in the same color and flickered unsteadily. However, that wasn’t the most concerning part.

The Face was _dead_. It had met a most gruesome fate too, it seemed. Blood dripped from its limp mouth, its visage forever locked in an agonized grimace.

“…It asked us if we would miss it…” Maddie recalled, shuddering. “It knew this was gonna happen.”

 _“Yeah…”_ Godzilla rumbled. Before he could ruminate on that any further, the screen started flickering and distorting even more.

He got out of that level like a bat out of hell.

“G,” Maddie pointed, “Look.”

 _Another_ new monster was on the board. Going to investigate, Godzilla selected it, and was immediately met with a black screen, red text plastered on it.

**‘NO.’**

When the screen returned back to the board screen, the new monster’s section was broken off, free-floating in the void.

 _“What the_ hell _is going on?”_ Godzilla wondered aloud. He hadn’t even played through any _actual_ levels yet, and already, the game was more active than it had ever been.

Something about it all was fishy. Way fishy. Every alarm bell in his head was ringing now, telling him to _shut the damn thing off_. And yet, something else was telling him not too.

He was past the point of no return now. It may have sounded crazy at the time, but looking back on it, he was right…

Even if he turned the game off now… He’d played it too much. It got what it wanted out of him now, and every instinct he had told him it was building up to something. Even if he switched off the console, had Maddie unplug every part of it…

Whatever the game was doing was still going to happen. And even though he knew it was baseless, something told him it was gonna be _bad_. Up to that point, the game hadn’t been able to affect the real world in any meaningful manner.

But something told the duo that now that they were at Zenith, it could. Again, it was baseless, but Godzilla had learned to trust his gut the hard way, and Maddie trusted him.

Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, with or without their intervention at this point. The _only_ conceivable way to stop it now was by beating it before it finally put whatever it was planning into motion.

So… even though half his instincts were telling him to cut his losses and RUN, Godzilla started the first ground level, the red temple.

It bore a resemblance to the ice temples from the earlier stages, only this stage was massive. Not literally, but Godzilla’s sprite had been shrunken down, obviously trying to convey that he was insignificant compared to the place.

As he walked, the eyes of the screaming faces lining the ceiling began to glow, and he was beset by enemies coming in furiously from the right. They looked… _wrong_. Like a mix of reptile and birds walking upright with no eyes and a beak like a crocodile snout. And they were _fast_.

Godzilla was glad he had decent reflexes despite his enormous size, because he would’ve lost that battle before he even knew what was going on otherwise. The statues’ eyes glowed again after about thirty seconds, summoning another wave, but he was more prepared for it this time, and pushed them to the edge of a bottomless pit.

The red temple was… wrong, just wrong. It was filled with all manner of inhuman beasts, _none_ of them recycled from the earlier worlds. Partway through the temple, Godzilla noticed a tiny statue of the Red Monster.

This was _its_ temple. And its worshippers.

He had to get out. _Now_.

As he navigated to the exit, worrying that the Red Monster would break the rules of the game and appear here in the temple, Godzilla came across a floating Red statue, like the Blue Angel one from the end of Extus, only it had a skull instead of the featureless face.

And it was a mini boss.

The resulting battle was _hell,_ actual hell. The Red Angel started off the battle by summoning a randomly selected group of the monsters from earlier in the level and reducing the amount of space Godzilla could move around in to only a few floating platforms.

Each time the Red Angel took damage, some of the platforms would crumble, and it proceeded as such until the Angel was dead.

Godzilla was booted back out to the map screen, and he and Maddie sighed as he moved Mothra over to one of the icons that looked like the word ‘KILL’ superimposed over itself until it was a blur.

Like Godzilla in the temple stage, Mothra in this KILL stage was tiny, but the most disconcerting thing about this stage was that some of the bosses from the previous stages had been shrunken down and made into ground enemies.

Maddie would say it was because the people working on the game got lazy or rushed for time, but she knew better.

As Godzilla transitioned, the level visuals changed going from the mess of jumbled text to something more reminiscent of a pile of random junk. The junk piles that made up the ground tiles would split open, becoming enemies in their own right, and on the final screen, a great number of them combined to form a towering mini-boss bigger than any they’d fought in the game, even the moon monster.

Godzilla, for once, was glad he chose Mothra, although Solomon would’ve been better. The only way to hurt the mini boss was by targeting the tumorous growths on its head.

In the end, though she’d suffered a lot of damage, Mothra triumphed over the beast.

As the duo slogged through Zenith, they saw… Well, they couldn’t describe what they saw. The next level that they’d played through, which Godzilla had chosen Anguirus for, was a briar-patch like area with rivers of blood running through it.

Enemies tailored to the water absolutely _filled_ the river, and just when it looked like the enemies were let up, Anguirus was jumped on from all sides by them.

But… perhaps the most confusing, and disturbing part, was the ‘MOTHER’ screen/mini boss.

Before the fight had started, Anguirus was transported back above ground, to an arena from which couldn’t be escaped. A faceless, pregnant humanoid was hanging from the top right of the screen, strangled by a spine-like cord coming from its own belly.

The creature’s stomach suddenly, and violently, split open, the lower half falling into the blood water below, as a creature that could best be described as a giant cross between a bat and a vulture with a snarling human face clawed its way out.

The pattern of the mini boss was easy enough to learn. It would swoop, firing green beams from its eyes as it passed overhead. It was fast and maneuverable, but Anguirus was able to tank the damage, and beat it.

At this point, there were only two levels left to fight through. The first one was the… flesh level. He’d chosen himself for that one.

And it was _disturbing._ In a different way to the ‘MOTHER’ boss.

The visuals in this level were all… _lifelike._ It looked more like someone took pictures and just inserted them into the game, instead of actual spritework, well beyond the boundaries of the NES, even with a souped-up cartridge. Even the monsters looked disturbingly lifelike, skinned and bloodied creatures rendered in far too much detail.

Some enemies in the level were smart and would try to wait for Godzilla to jump down so they could attack. When that occurred, he had to step away and wait for the enemy to disperse. While he was experimenting with that, however, he discovered something disturbing. The level was trying to _absorb_ his character.

By the end of it all, Maddie was getting sick, and Godzilla, though he’d seen worse, was not far behind. All of it was becoming too much. The level itself, the grotesque detail in which the enemy monsters were pictured, and the fishy smell of the ocean all made for an assault of the senses that made her want to vomit.

But, they’d made it to the end, and took down another boss. That one was the least disturbing of the ones in Zenith, looking like someone took their hand and was using it to sockpuppet a bird skull. That’s not to say it was _pleasant,_ just not as horrific as they’d expected. Godzilla had to be careful when the battle had started, down at half health, but he’d just barely scraped through.

And then, it was time for the final level type before the bosses. The volcano.

A more apt description would be ‘Hell.’ Again, even back when he was human, Godzilla was never a particularly religious being. He’d gone to church with his mother every now and again, but religion wasn’t something Joyce had tried to force upon her son.

But seeing this level… It made him want to find the nearest church, confess his sins, and never leave. The background was dark, the only source of light a blaze of fire taller than the mountains it was consuming. A river of lava slowly flowed below, and it was all rendered in that same realistic detail that shouldn’t have been possible.

It was a silly thought at the time… But something told Godzilla that this was the fate that awaited him if he couldn’t beat this game.

There was but a single enemy type in the entire level. A demonic centaur, wielding a flaming whip. But, they possessed a unique ability. They could morph into whatever form they saw fit. Some would change into serpents fit to survive in the lava pools, others would become smaller demons of a different type which fired projectiles, some would become fast and maneuverable imps which tried to grab Godzilla’s monster and drag it off-screen, and only a few would remain in their original form.

The heat of the sun bore down on the two, making them feel like they were _in_ the level. When they got to the final screen, there was but one enemy to be fought.

It leapt out from the water, looking like a demonic hedgehog with a cruel grin forever plastered on its face. It walked upright like a human and spat out an enormous wall of fire that singed the landscape.

Godzilla was glad he chose Solomon. If he hadn’t, he might not have been able to make it through the fight. As the boss’s health decreased, it moved faster, and it used a slash attack in addition to its fire breath. Had he been playing as any other monster, Godzilla would either be too weak or too slow to react and would’ve surely fallen to the monster.

But, as Solomon’s end screen proclaimed, he was ‘STILL THE BEST’ and got the upper hand over the monster at the end.

Now, it was down to the final two boss monsters. Ghidorah, and Destoroyah. Godzilla felt it more appropriate to save Ghidorah for the end, even though his instincts were telling him that with that design and name, Destoroyah was likely to be the more difficult of the two.

He wanted to save his final fight for the monster he’d actually fought in the real world.

So, taking control of Anguirus, Godzilla began the fight against Destoroyah. Destoroyah started the fight as a small, almost microscopic crab-like creature. With but a single hit from Anguirus, however, Destoroyah morphed into a different form like a scorpion with a head at the end of a long neck. It took more hits but was still unable to fight back.

That changed once Destoroyah entered yet another new form, as it became larger, growing arms out of its back and pincer claws out of its chest. It was now able to fight back, and Anguirus’s roll, which Godzilla had been using up to that point as his primary method of attack, was steadily countered by Destoroyah, knocking Anguirus whenever he tried to initiate the roll. He had to rely on Anguirus’s punch attacks now, as well as his sonic beam or whatever attack that was supposed to be.

As the timer ticked down silently in the background, Destoroyah entered another, flying form, which Godzilla could not reasonably fight against.

So, he let the timer tick down, and made a swap to Mothra. Perhaps Solomon would’ve been a better pick, but Mothra was smaller, more able to easily dodge Destoroyah’s attacks. Godzilla moved Mothra around skillfully, deftly, and Maddie watched in rapt attention as the battle continued.

And then, Destoroyah began to change again, taking on a walking bipedal form with bat-like wings. Almost _immediately,_ Mothra’s attacks were rendered useless.

Now, it was time to bring out the big guns.

Solomon entered the 8-bit ring just as gracefully as Mothra had. He wouldn’t be well-suited to dodging, and he couldn’t crouch, but he could more than certainly tank the damage, and out of all the monsters in Godzilla’s roster, he had the most outright beefiest attacks.

The battle was long, and desperate. Godzilla briefly entertained the idea of going back into a ground level for health refills but shot it down. This late in, the game wasn’t pulling any punches anymore. Going in for a health refill was more likely to end in the desperate monster dying, rather than being healed.

He had to finish off these bosses, here and now. And he had to finish Destoroyah with the three. He’d need himself at full strength for Ghidorah.

As the battle ground on, it became a stressful balancing act of looking at the bars on top while trying to dodge the attacks on bottom, and even with Solomon’s defensive abilities, Destoroyah was still ripping him apart. But Solomon was able to dish it out just as painfully as he could take it, and after _ten minutes,_ the timer should’ve having kicked them out long ago…

Destoroyah was defeated.

“Yeah!” Maddie pumped her fist. “How do you like that you overgrown lobster!?”

 _“Pretty sure it was a crab.”_ Godzilla rumbled, moving his piece to the Ghidorah sprite. A powerful sense of foreboding gripped him, and he knew.

This was it. The final boss of this game. He and Maddie were at their journey’s end. It had only been five hours, at the _very_ most, but it felt like an eternity, with the constant confusion and emotional turmoil the game had been wracking on them.

It was time to finish this.

 _“You ready?”_ Godzilla rumbled, glancing at Maddie, as the game asked him if he wanted to engage King Ghidorah.

Maddie grinned, laying flat on her stomach on Godzilla’s snout, supporting her head with her arms as she looked at the screen. “Let’s do this.”

Godzilla hit yes, and the boss fight loaded.

Unlike most of the other bosses, the only other one he could think of being that green ogre thing from a few worlds back, King Ghidorah got a proper introduction.

The level loaded slowly, fading in. Only a few seconds passed as Sprite Godzilla stood, before yellow lightning arced in the arena.

With a thunderclap, King Ghidorah flew into the arena and landed, standing tall over Sprite Godzilla as it flared out its wings in a show of dominance.

[A boisterous orchestral](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeseGIwIT94) piece started playing in the background as King Ghidorah roared, that same taunting laugher the real Ghidorah had made, rendered in such detail that it sounded like the real Ghidorah was nearby.

Even resurrected only in virtual form… Ghidorah was the most difficult foe Godzilla had ever faced.

King Ghidorah did _not_ pull any punches, even from the start. The _instant_ the actual battle began, and control was handed back to Godzilla, Ghidorah opened with gravity beams from all three heads. Immediately, Godzilla’s health was shaved down by a full four bars, putting him on the defensive.

If he tried to keep this battle at range, he would _not_ win. Godzilla had to get close, otherwise those gravity beams would kill him faster than he could blink.

He wished he could say that helped, but honestly, it didn’t. Just like Ghidorah in the real world, each head could move independently, and Ghidorah used that to its advantage. Whenever Godzilla got close enough to hit Ghidorah with a melee attack, one of two things would happen. Ghidorah would snap back, biting Godzilla and shaving even more health off, or just block Godzilla’s attacks.

Damnit, he should’ve picked Solomon for this. But he was in too far deep now, he had to see this finished.

The only way he could think of being able to get an attack in was if he could stun the heads so they’d be unable to fight back. It wasn’t a _plan,_ just a hypothesis, but it was the only thing he had.

So, Godzilla hung back, and when the gravity beams inevitably came, dodged them as best as he could. It seemed to work, infuriating Ghidorah, and the center head snapped, lunging.

Not wanting to try his luck with a punch or a kick, Godzilla fired a heat beam.

However, what happened next wasn’t what he was expecting. Instead of the center head being merely stunned, it was vaporized, and Ghidorah began to glitch out, the text at the stop doing so as well.

He registered a deep, permeating sense of surprise, before he realized it wasn’t his own.

It was concerning in a way, because the _game itself_ was surprised that this was happening.

…Even in death, Ghidorah was too strong to be controlled.

Silver-grey pixels flew in from off screen, Godzilla and Maddie briefly registering the game’s own confusion at control being wrestled away from it, as the pixels merged with Ghidorah.

Parts of Ghidorah’s body, notably the wings, legs, the tip of the tails, and the ‘pecs’ were replaced by mechanical parts, as Ghidorah changed into a cyborg. The text at the top of the screen glitched and flickered, as a mechanical dragon head replaced the one Godzilla had burned off.

[The music changed, ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AedBHcMSLaM)as the text cleared, revealing the monster’s new title.

Mecha-King Ghidorah roared, free of the game’s control, its cackling laughter distorted by synthesized undertones.

Instantly, Godzilla’s health shot back to full. Evidently, Mecha-King Ghidorah wasn’t part of its plan, as the game had dropped its torture of him for the moment to give him a little boost.

Not a massive one, just something to even the odds. The game obviously wasn’t going to let up entirely, it was still enjoying seeing Godzilla get pummeled no matter who the responsible party was, but Ghidorah’s rebellion had apparently pissed it off to the extent that it was willing to give Godzilla a _little_ push, but not much more than that.

It was going to be difficult, maybe impossible… but he had to try. The moment Mecha-King Ghidorah regained control of itself, it opened with a devastating machine hand attack. The cyborg’s chest would open up, a mechanical hand shooting out to grab Godzilla to lift him off the ground and keep him immobile, as smaller machine hands poked out of his sides, going in for the kill via electrocution.

Godzilla wanted to let the timer end, to go back to the map screen and swap out for Solomon… But with the virtual Ghidorah an entity in its own right it seemed, there was just _no_ telling what would happen if he allowed that to occur.

And it was fortunate, because looking back on it, the fight lasted well over forty seconds. Ghidorah had disabled the timer. Had Godzilla waited for the timer to run out, he might as well have been committing suicide.

This was a fight that, whether he liked it or not, Godzilla had to be part of. The _only_ saving grace was that his power meter would refill if it got too low, but that pleasant discovery was tempered by the one that the life meter wouldn’t.

He had to be careful, and crafty.

Mecha-King Ghidorah tried again to pick Godzilla up, however, a saving grace of its machine hand attack that worked for Godzilla’s advantage was that the attack could only be fired one way, directly horizontally, which left room for Godzilla to duck under it.

But, of course, the machine hand wasn’t the only attack Mecha-King Ghidorah had in its arsenal. The center head could fire a vast array of weaponry, a triple laser beam, green fireballs, and deadly orbs of blue energy. The fireball and energy orb attacks, despite looking like palette swaps of each other, had differences. The energy orb did more damage with a single hit, but more could be fired in a short burst of time. The fireball attack could only be fired once but caught Godzilla on fire that ate away at his health for a short period.

The other two heads behaved as normally as they had before Ghidorah went Mecha-Mode, however as opposed to the single blast from the heat beam that took down the center head, they took more hits before they disintegrated.

And once a head disintegrated, it would be replaced by a mechanical one, with the same attacks as the center head.

To make matters worse, the cyborg replacement heads took less damage in general, and their biting attacks inflected more damage to Godzilla.

Maddie sat on the edge of her seat, watching enraptured as Godzilla focused everything on the game, fighting Ghidorah with that same desperation he had in real life.

Only this time, there would be no nuke to power him up, no fancy moves he could pull out to his advantage. He was stuck within the limits of his player character, and honestly, those limits were beginning to show.

The most Godzilla could do was desperately punch, kick, and tail whip, occasionally breaking the pattern to fire a heat beam. The _moment_ he let up on any attack, Mecha-Ghidorah took that opening with a vengeance, snapping, shooting him with fireballs or its triple beam attack, and Godzilla wondered if he was making any actual headway.

Until, that is, one of Mecha-Ghidorah’s mechanical heads broke and disintegrated, just like the organic ones, only this time, it didn’t return.

That, if nothing else, proved it was possible to _beat_ Mecha-King Ghidorah. Godzilla just had to keep pushing, holding out.

He’d come so far, he and Maddie had seen so much…

It wasn’t going to end now. He _wouldn’t_ allow it.

With yet another assault from the heat beam, aimed at the head snapping down at him, Mecha-Ghidorah was reduced to one, final head, and the battle became even more difficult from there.

Ghidorah, knowing it was at the end of its rope, started pulling out all the stops, spamming the triple beam like it was nothing, firing fireballs and energy orbs left and right, desperately trying to grab Godzilla with its hand.

By the end of it all, Godzilla had only one _square_ on his life meter left. He wished he could say it was skill that carried him through Mecha-King Ghidorah’s desperate death throes, but honestly?

He just got lucky.

“Holy shit…” Maddie breathed. “Holy shit! You did it G! You beat the game!”

Godzilla wanted to agree with her, he really did. But he knew. All the worlds up to that point followed the pattern. All monsters dead; the Red face would appear.

This time was no exception and looking at that final icon on Zenith’s board… Godzilla didn’t know what to expect.

What was the last chase level going to be like?

“This is it, G.” Maddie smiled, patting the scales next to her. “One last level, then we’re done!”

 _“Yeah.”_ Godzilla muttered in response, moving his piece over to the face. He beat everything up to this point, braved every hellish level, soldiered through all the confusing quirks…

To quit now would be an insult to all his efforts.

He hit the button and waited for the heartbeat to start. And, of course, it came. But the odd thing was, even though Godzilla’s sprite loaded, the level didn’t. Or rather, it did load, but it was completely black.

And then, it happened. Two glowing red orbs pierced the darkness, a health bar materializing at the top of the screen.

‘RED’

Maddie and Godzilla’s jaws dropped, feeling identical sensations of terror and dread, as the Red Monster crawled slowly out of the darkness, towards the screen.

And then, it did something it had never done before. Something that chilled the two to their very cores.

It _smiled._

Red then proceeded to roar, blowing out the speakers of the base, before it leapt at the screen, and it all went dark.

“Uh… G...” Maddie spoke up after a tense moment of silence. “What was that?”

 _“I don’t know.”_ Godzilla rumbled, pressing the buttons on the controller, trying to get back to the map or even the main title screen. _“Hm…”_ He frowned. _“Maddie, hop down and check the console, will you?”_

The girl nodded, allowing Godzilla to let her down, as she ran over to the NES. It was still running, the light was on, and all the cables were plugged in…

It must’ve been a problem with the cartridge.

Maddie opened the cartridge slot, pulling it out, and she recoiled in pain, dropping the hunk of plastic and circuitry to the floor. It was hot, burning hot. So hot that the plastic should’ve been melting.

 _“Maddie?”_ Godzilla looked down, at her in concern. _“What is-“_

The words died down in his mouth, as the cartridge began to glow.

 _“What the hell?”_ Godzilla muttered, as the game morphed into a glowing, crackling red sphere. It suddenly shot out to the space over the ocean, Godzilla and Maddie both turning to look as it stopped, hanging in the sky.

Thunder clapped, the sky becoming a deep, blood red, as a loud bang emanated from the sphere like a gunshot. Then, it lengthened, becoming an enormous, black crack in the sky.

 _“…Maddie?”_ Godzilla blinked, staring at the sphere.

“Yeah?” The girl fearfully replied, staring at the orb.

 _“Next time I get the idea to play a haunted video game, do me a favor.”_ Godzilla began. _“Smack the shit outta me.”_

Maddie snorted, trying to keep levity as the crack widened, nothing but a void on the other side. “Might have some trouble, but yeah sure. You got a plan?”

 _“You kidding me? It’s huge!”_ Godzilla retorted. _“…I do have an idea though.”_

“Lay it on me.” Maddie nodded.

 _“Well, I’d say something’s gonna come out of that rift.”_ Godzilla began. _“And since our Red Friend was leaping at the screen before the game went dead, I’m gonna assume it’s him.”_

“Not exactly an _encouraging_ guess,” Maddie muttered, “But probably the right one.”

 _“So, here’s what I need you to do:”_ Godzilla glanced at her. _“Go inside and get your backpack.”_

“My back-“ Maddie repeated, frowning. “Why?”

 _“I have a plan.”_ Godzilla told her. _“Now, could you hurry up and go get it? I’d rather be able to execute the plan_ before _Red comes out here to kick my ass.”_

Maddie rolled her eyes, but obeyed, running into the base.

Godzilla cracked his neck, clearing his throat.

_“Right, well… lordy.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, the real question is, was the game just toying with them during the Ghidorah fight...
> 
> Or did Ghidorah's restless spirit find its way into the game somehow?
> 
> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	7. Game Day, Part Seven: The Final Boss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of the road for the Haunted Game arc.

Castle Bravo was on high alert as the people inside scrambled around, trying to make sense of what was going on outside.

The command center was a flurry of activity, the people outside looking on in curious horror.

“My God…” Mark breathed, seeing the rift opening in the sky. “What is that!?”

The door banged open, as Maddie came running in, running for a locker.

“Maddie!” Mark breathed. “What are you doing!?”

“Game’s haunted!” Maddie quickly shot back, grabbing her backpack out and slamming the metal container.

Everybody inside spluttered.

“What!?” Chen spoke up first.

“GAME’S HAUNTED!” Maddie repeated, running back out just as quickly as she had entered.

\-----------

The sky became tinged a deep, blood red as the rift that the cartridge had become split the sky, a long, spindly hand sticking out first, as something pulled the rift open even wider.

Red materialized, no longer a video game monster in a video game world, but a real monster in the real world. Thankfully, it had manifested _away_ from Castle Bravo, leaving what was likely to be the horribly confused, panicked humans inside safe.

For the moment. Godzilla was no idiot, he knew the second it got the chance, the Monster would rip the base to shreds.

The Monster had to be stopped. Here and now.

 ** _“It is over.”_** Red growled in Godzilla’s mind, standing on the water like it was a solid surface. **_“I have manifested. This world now belongs to_ me.”**

Godzilla snorted. _“You want it? You’re gonna have to_ take _it, you walking hemorrhoid.”_

Red growled, spitting out fire in an intimidation display. **_“Hold your tongue, insolent fool.”_**

 _“Make me, Red.”_ Godzilla snarled. _“Maddie?”_ He telepathically directed to the girl as she emerged back from the base’s innards.

“Yeah?” The girl fearfully replied, looking out on Godzilla in the distance.

The mutant reptile/amphibian cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. _“Queue up my theme song.”_

Maddie blinked, and grinned. So, that was why Godzilla wanted her to grab her bag. Godzilla had been wanting to have a fight to a certain song ever since it came out. She grabbed the tape deck out of her bag and hooked it up to the base speakers from the NES, turning the volume up to maximum.

 _“GO-JI-RA!”_ A chorus of deep voices chanted. _“MO-SUR-A! SORE, SORE, SORE, SORE! GO, GO, GO, GODZILLA!”_

 _“You made a mistake coming here.”_ Godzilla growled. _“This is_ my _world, and my people.”_

The Demon’s eyes glowed red, nothing but hatred and contempt behind the sunken black voids. **_“THEN YOU WILL DIE WITH THEM!”_**

Godzilla roared, diving into the water.

That demon had no idea who it was messing with.

Godzilla swam swiftly, breaking through the water Red was standing on, and pulled it under, kicking and screeching furiously. Red spit out a blast of hellfire, snap-evaporating the water in the way and forcing Godzilla to let go and retreat to a safe distance. Its skin stretched and split, bones cracking as it took on its aquatic form.

Godzilla, instead of being wavered by the clear attempt at an intimidation tactic, grinned.

_“I love fair fights.”_

Godzilla shot forward like a bullet, tearing through his natural habitat, right towards the monster that had caused so much grief over the past few hours.

Red snarled, spitting out more fire, as Godzilla dashed out of the way. Its jaw parted, sending out a smaller secondary mouth attached to a long, tentacle-like tongue zipping out. The mouth struck Godzilla like a whip, tearing and rending his scaly skin like it was gift wrapping.

Maddie fell onto the platform of the base, clutching her leg where it felt like the skin had been tore open.

Godzilla roared in rage, sensing his friend’s distress, as he shook off his pain, and made another approach towards Red.

He’d been unable to do anything against the demon had haunted them for the past three hours… not this time. This time, Red was in _their_ world, not the other way around. Godzilla had the home field advantage.

Coming to a stop, floating, Godzilla clenched his fists, and drew on the power faintly surging within him. He waited for Red, in its hatred-induced blindness, to get close and open its mouth, before he fired a full-strength blast of atomic breath down the Demon Kaiju’s maw.

Red howled with rage, slowed but not stopped, as it continued swimming towards Godzilla. Godzilla turned and swam as well, leading it on.

 ** _“THIS WORLD IS MINE!”_** Red declared furiously, as Godzilla darted to the surface.

 _“You know, here on Earth, we have a saying!”_ Godzilla taunted, breaking the water and jumping into the air as far as his mass would allow. He turned, balling his clawed fist, as Red jumped out after him.

 _“SHUT THE HELL UP!”_ Godzilla bellowed, slamming his fist down into Red’s face, as both of them fell back to the water.

Red screeched, his rage and contempt radiating outward to the point where it could be felt. In that moment, Godzilla knew the time for games was long over. Red’s body cracked, growing larger and elongating into something… massive.

Maddie gasped, taking steps back from the edge of the platform as she saw the shadow growing in the water.

Red had never assumed this form in the game. It towered upright, like a snake standing, with four clawed arms on either side of its body.

 ** _“I AM THE SERPENT, THE DEVIL, THE BEAST.”_** Red growled in proclamation, as its new form towered above Godzilla to the point where Godzilla barely reached a _quarter_ of its height.

Godzilla swallowed, cracking his neck. _“And_ I _am GOD-zilla!”_

 ** _“YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A PATHETIC WORM!”_** Red snarled, reaching down into the water to grab the mutant lizard. It may have been bigger than Godzilla, but being bigger meant that it was slower, and Godzilla easily darted through its grip, firing more blasts of atomic breath into Red’s side.

However, there was a problem. Being so large meant that while Godzilla’s blasts technically _hurt,_ they didn’t injure Red enough to make any real difference.

They were at a stalemate now. And every second Godzilla wasn’t able to kill him, was another second where Red’s power grew. Admittedly, part of Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if there was a point to it all.

Why was Red doing this? What could it possibly gain? And why manifest in… a game cartridge? And then more questions started to form.

If Red was going to kill Godzilla, why not just reach out do it at the start? Manifest in the real world right then and there? Unless… it couldn’t have.

It clicked with Maddie right then and there. Red didn’t come out until they got to the final level. All final levels in all the video games she played had one thing in common.

“G!” Maddie shouted to him over their link. “You can kill him!”

 _“No offense, Maddie, but all my atomic breath is doin’ is givin’ him sunburn!”_ Godzilla shot back.

“No, think about it!” Maddie shot back. “This is the final boss! What do all final bosses have!?”

 _“…A WEAK POINT!”_ Godzilla shouted in epiphany. _“Great! But… where!?”_

“His eyes are glowing, dingnut!” Maddie replied.

 _“MADDIE, IF YOU WEREN’T THE SIZE OF AN ANT COMPARED TO ME, I WOULD KISS YOU!”_ Godzilla laughed. _“Sit tight, I’m about to turn this guy into atoms!”_

Godzilla swam up to Red, and Maddie froze as Godzilla stopped, holding position.

What was that colossal idiot _doing_?

 _“HEY! YOO-HOO!”_ Godzilla taunted. _“COME AND GET ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”_

Red looked down, snarling, as it snapped down to the water, picking up Godzilla in its long, sticklike arms. Its jowls opened, and it moved Godzilla over.

It didn’t notice, however, Godzilla’s spines beginning to glow blue. With a deep, electric rumble, Godzilla roared and unleashed his atomic breath, aiming directly for one of Red’s eyes.

Red howled, dropping Godzilla back into the water as it staggered. Its hands snapped up to cover its burning eyesocket, and it looked down at Godzilla, glaring with a single eye.

The enormous Demon Kaiju drew a breath, and spat fire, breathing it all down at Godzilla. In response, the titanic lizard dove under the water, swimming to where Red’s tail skimmed the water. Godzilla grabbed on, and _bit,_ as hard as he could.

Red screeched in agony, snapping its tail and throwing Godzilla off. The other monster grinned as he realized the enormous mistake Red just made.

He didn’t have much time to react, but as Godzilla arced through the air, he charged his atomic breath, and twisted himself through the air to aim down. The phrase going through Maddie’s mind, as well as the minds of everybody else upon seeing this happen, was ‘oddly graceful.’

As Godzilla soared above Red’s head, he let another blast of atomic breath loose, aimed right for the other, uninjured eye.

Red stumbled, again bellowing in pain, blinded by the blasts. The last time it had been on Earth, it had been at full strength…

Now, it was only at a fraction of its power. And that was all the advantage Godzilla needed. Red collapsed, bending down, trying to feel around for Godzilla with its hands.

In the water, Godzilla was quick and nimble, deftly dodging and maneuvering to put himself on Red’s back.

Red scowled in fury, standing tall, trying to throw Godzilla off. When Godzilla remained steady, it reached up to try and grab him.

Godzilla stopped Red in its tracks by slamming his foot into one of the burned-out eyesockets.

Godzilla drew on his atomic breath one final time, growling.

 _“Now you know why they call me ‘King of the Monsters.’”_ Was all Godzilla gave Red, before he fired his atomic breath, putting as much power as he could behind it, firing it into the other eyesocket.

Red screeched, spasming, as the beam of blue particles burned away through its skull, right into its brain. As it desperately attempted to buck Godzilla off, the mutant lizard remained holding on tight, and soon, Red’s death throes died completely, and it went totally still.

The red skies parted, becoming that same calm blue once again, as Godzilla hopped off Red’s body.

“Holy shit!” Maddie gushed. “That was AWESOME!”

Godzilla brushed his shoulders. God damn, he felt tired after that. _“Pretty cool, wasn’t it?”_

Maddie excitedly nodded. “Yeah! He was all ‘I am the Devil, ooga booga booga.’ And you were all ‘bitch please.’ And then-!” She abruptly stopped, eyes snapping to the floating corpse. “Uh…”

Godzilla turned, following Maddie’s gaze.

It was coming back.

Red had been going easy on him because it _knew_ there was nothing Godzilla could do to put it down for good.

 _“Oh… shit.”_ Godzilla raised his fists defensively as Red began to regenerate from its injuries.

So, Maddie’s guess about Red’s power being limited was wrong. At the least, it had enough power to keep regenerating.

 _“Maddie.”_ Godzilla swallowed. _“Get back inside.”_

“But-“ Maddie stuttered. It wasn’t regenerating _that_ fast…

But it’d be up, and soon. And it was a good bet it’d be furious.

“You’ll just take it down again and it’ll keep getting back up!” Maddie squeaked.

 _“Yeah… I don’t…”_ Godzilla sounded out of breath. _“I don’t know what to do.”_

He had to think… Red had been to Earth before, evidently, if the game through which it manifested was any indication. And, it had been defeated before too, or at least, banished.

 _“All I can do is try.”_ Godzilla breathed. _“Try and hope I can take him down.”_

“You’ll die!” Maddie worriedly replied. Red was _huge_ and had nearly swallowed Godzilla once. There was no way Godzilla was going to be able to last forever against it.

 _“We’re all dead anyway.”_ Godzilla gulped. _“But this way, I at least buy you guys some time. Get in the base, find El, Jonathan, and my mom.”_ He ordered. _“Get to safety.”_

“G…” Maddie stuck her hand out, trying to reach.

_“Please, Mads, for me.”_

The girl reluctantly nodded. “Okay… Yeah. Good luck, big guy.” She wished, heading into the base.

\--------------

On every screen in the base, there was a live feed of the outside, showing Godzilla standing watch, prepared, as Red’s regeneration proceeded unimpeded.

Maddie ran, faster and farther than her feet had ever carried her, as she passed by the other people scrambling to evacuate.

She found the Byers’s quarters, and hurriedly pushed the door open. “Mrs. Byers!” She called, looking around. “Mrs. Byers!?”

Immediately, the woman came running in from the other room. “Madison! What’s going on!? What’s happened to Will!?”

“He’s…” Maddie breathed, as El and Jonathan came in from their sections of the quarters. “He’s fighting Red again. He told us to evacuate.”

“What!?” Jonathan spluttered.

“We can’t just _leave_!” Joyce concurred.

“We can’t do anything else.” Maddie replied. “Red… it’s too strong for him. It’s regenerating, and something tells me it’s only going to get harder to take down each time it comes back.”

“W-Well,” Joyce spluttered, “There has to be something we can do!”

“Not us.” Maddie retorted. “Unless, you know of a monster bigger than that thing.”

El sharply inhaled, eyes going wide.

“El?” Joyce looked to her. “What is it?”

“We…” El looked to Maddie. “Know a monster bigger than that.”

“What, no we-“ Joyce stopped, blood going cold. “No… Oh, no way in _hell_!”

“It’s bigger than the Red Thing.” El stated confidently.

“And that means it’s going to help us!?” Joyce incredulously asked. “It _possessed_ him! Almost killed you, almost killed _all_ of us!”

“Y-Yeah,” Jonathan agreed, “It’s not going to help.”

“…It will.” El stated with confidence.

“How can you _know_ that!?” Joyce questioned.

“Because I’m going to convince it.”

\------------

“O-Okay, so…” Maddie rubbed her temples. “Let me get this straight: You’re going to use your powers tap into another dimension so you can convince the giant monster on the other side _not_ to kill us all, and then open a portal for it to come through so it can help Godzilla fight?”

“Yes.” El stated simply, setting the television to static, fixing a blindfold around her face. She held out her hand, looking to Maddie promptingly, even with her face partly concealed.

“Uh…” Maddie blinked. “What-“

“You played the game.” El began. “You know that monster better. You can explain.”

“O… Okay…” Maddie looked a bit dumbfounded as she nevertheless took her twin’s hand and closed her eyes.

A low-vibration humming began to emanate through Maddie’s bones, as the air in the room went still. Movement out of the corner of her eye grabbed her attention, and she turned to look at El.

She hadn’t opened her eyes, had she?

No, her eyelids were shut… and yet, Maddie could see. The two were standing in a dark, black void, extending far out into infinity.

El began to walk, leading Maddie along, as the blank void began to coalesce into a dark, twisted landscape. Fleshy vines grew all over the ground, white spores fell from the sky, and the place was forever locked at nighttime.

“Stay absolutely still.” El advised, as red lightning crackled in the sky.

Maddie looked up in terror, as the black clouds above formed into a shadowy body, spiderlike in appearance with an elongated head. Even though it had no eyes, Maddie knew it was looking at them.

One of the swarm-creature’s tendrils reached out, slamming on the ground in front of them. It spun like a tornado, on the path to El and Maddie, before the older girl’s hand shot out, stopping it in its tracks.

“Stop!” El commanded. “We want to talk to you! Don’t fight us, listen! We need your help!”

The tornado slowed, and the Mind Flayer’s confusion was palpable, as part of the tendril receded.

The rest of it, however, fell to the ground, combining and forming into a person, walking towards them.

Maddie gasped, as a third person wearing her and El’s face, an avatar of the Mind Flayer, came to a stop in front of them.

 _“…Help?”_ He repeated, the avatar tilting her head.

El swallowed but kept on her guard. “Yes.”

 _“Why-“_ The avatar spoke with a legion of voices in the background, growling hellishly. _“Would we help you?”_

“Because,” Maddie addressed, the avatar’s head snapped to her in response. “Because,” Maddie repeated, the wind taken out of her sails some. “We’re in danger.”

 _“…Children of Mothra.”_ The Mind Flayer recognized with a snarl. _“I hold no pity for you. Whatever danger you face, you will do so alone.”_ The avatar turned, to show just how done the entity in charge was with the two of them.

“Wait!” Maddie pleaded. “You have to listen! There’s this giant red monster that’s attacking and we can’t kill it!”

The Mind Flayer stopped, turning slowly around. _“_ It… _has returned?”_

“You…” El blinked. “Know it?”

The avatar’s fists clenched. _“…You are all_ idiots. _”_

El recoiled. “Excuse me!?”

 _“Sister left a personality imprint of our combined form in the fragment.”_ It snarled. _“All you had to do was refrain from playing its game, and the imprint would do the rest. Guide you out, if need be. And you_ evidently ignored it. _”_

“Uh, I don’t remember a-“ Maddie stuttered, before cutting herself off. “Oh… the Blue Angel. Yeah, Red killed it, but never mind that.” She looked to the avatar desperately. “Will you help us?”

The avatar turned. _“Tell me why it should be so.”_

“Because… If you don’t...” Maddie began. “You won’t ever get the chance to set foot on Earth again.”

The avatar’s head tilted curiously.

“Godzilla told me everything.” Maddie told it. “About what you are, and what you’ve done. If you don’t help us stop Red, it’s going to kill Godzilla, and then go after everything else. And once everybody on Earth dies, there’s going to be no one else to let you in, either on accident or on purpose.”

The avatar stood silent, before it suddenly dispersed into shadow, the bugs that were making it up returning to the greater whole.

The wind kicked up, lighting sparking and arching through the air, as the Mind Flayer’s body twisted, becoming a cloud of dark particles.

The cyclone stirred and twisted, before something formed in it.

El gasped. It bore a resemblance to the same angel that had brought her back during Ghidorah’s attack, only this one was… more dangerous. Dark greys and reds as opposed to the beige-browns and aqua blues of the angel. Its wings were pointed, and as she looked at the main body, things began to make sense.

She always wondered why the Mind Flayer chose a spider of all things as its form. Looking on the body now, the intelligence had just been assuming a wingless, featureless version of its original body, the only difference was the arms were more like proper arms instead of the shadowy tentacles and the stinger tail was more like a wasp’s or hornet’s as opposed to the long, tentacle like end of the immaterial form.

The Mind Flayer flared its wings, releasing a deep, bellowing battle cry.

\-----------

Godzilla ducked back under the water, dodging yet another hellfire blast from Red. Four repeat tries of burning the eyesockets out like he had before, and Red _just_ _kept_ regenerating, the time it took between each regeneration shortening drastically. It was now a game of keeping the battle going on away from the base long enough for the people inside to evacuate.

 ** _“You can’t defeat me.”_** Red growled, as Godzilla surfaced again. **_“You might as well kill yourself now and spare yourself the pain of an excruciating death by my hand.”_**

 _“Not…”_ Godzilla weakly breathed. _“Not likely.”_

**_“Then make peace with your god.”_ **

Red wound up to attack, and Godzilla thought that would be the end of it…

When a thunderous bang shook the entire area, rumbling the surroundings for miles. At first, Godzilla believed Red to be the culprit, but the demonic kaiju’s own confusion proved otherwise.

Godzilla looked to the source, and mentally gasped.

He recognized that portal. He had _nightmares_ about that portal. And it was opening directly above Castle Bravo.

Great, not only was Red here to cause trouble, the Upside Down was too. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough.

A deep, bellowing screech emanated from the portal as something tore through the red, flesh-like membrane, careening out furiously on a mission.

There was a giant _wasp-moth thing_ gunning right for them, red lightning sparking off similarly colored wings as it careened towards them.

Godzilla raised his fists, only for the flying kaiju to pass over him.

 ** _“BATTRA!”_** Red furiously exclaimed, as the new arrival charged into the demon.

 _“THIS WORLD IS MINE!”_ Battra snarled back, impaling Red’s face with his pincer-like stinger. Red howled in agony, stumbling down as Battra removed the spiked stinger, shaking off grey matter. He turned to look at Godzilla, and the lizard kaiju’s heart stopped.

It was the Mind Flayer. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know why, but he was _here_.

Godzilla raised his fists, ready to fight again.

 _“On your feet!”_ Battra ordered instead. _“This battle is not done yet!”_

Godzilla felt the radiation pouring in from the portal’s other side, and soaked it up like a sponge, jumping back to one hundred percent.

The Mind Flayer was here… _helping…_

Godzilla should’ve been angry. No, he should’ve been furious. The Mind Flayer had been the one responsible for his current state to begin with, never mind the damage it had wrought to others in the process.

Right now though, he felt relieved. He would’ve taken Satan himself if it meant someone, _anyone_ had his back in this fight.

Still though, he could be grumpy about it. Later though, after the first world-ending eldritch monster was dealt with.

 _“We must destroy the heart.”_ Battra turned to address Godzilla, hovering nearby as Red returned to life. _“That is the link between its greater body outside of our reality, and the minute form of it here.”_

 _“Right. The way you casually explained that, you’d assume anything other than that would be_ out _of the norm.”_ Godzilla grumbled.

Battra returned Godzilla’s perceived insolence with a smack of his wings. _“Enough! I am here to assist you. You will either do as I instruct, or I will leave you to your own devices, understand?”_

 _“Okay.”_ Godzilla gritted his teeth. He had to take the help he could get, even if it came from the Mind Flayer. _“So, what’s the plan?”_

 _“You will focus its attention below. I shall attack from above.”_ Battra proclaimed, wings pushing around air as it took off, lightning charging the water below.

 _“Yeah, that’s not a plan! More like a general outline!”_ Godzilla sarcastically returned, as Red got back up.

The enormous demon kaiju drew a breath, spitting out hellfire once more at the approaching Battra. With a swiftness and grace that could have only come from millennia of flying experience, the enormous wasp-moth rolled out of the way, allowing the fire to arc below.

 _“HEY!”_ Godzilla bellowed. _“Are you trying to get me killed!?”_ Actually, he guessed that _was_ a valid concern.

Shaking his head, the mutant lizard dove underwater, swimming for Red’s tail. Like before, he bit down into the jerky-like flesh, and tore as hard as he could, grabbing Red’s attention.

This didn’t seem to anger the demon anymore, only exasperate it, as it swatted Godzilla away.

Battra tore through the skies overhead, red beady eyes glowing with power, before they flashed, energy beams lancing out towards Red’s head.

Red saw the blasts coming before they were even fired, raising his tail to harmlessly absorb them.

Battra screeched, flying overhead, dusting the area with a poisonous powder-like substance. Red coughed only once, but it didn’t look otherwise phased.

 _“This isn’t working!”_ Godzilla growled. _“We need a new plan!”_

 _“DO AS I COMMAND!”_ Battra bellowed, taking Red head-on.

Godzilla scowled, but if nothing else, he got a sick sort of satisfaction watching Red swat Battra like a bug.

Battra landed in the water, spasming.

 _“So, what did we learn?”_ Godzilla directed with dripping sarcasm.

 _“Enough, whelp.”_ Battra snarled, trying to recover. His wings began to flap again, as it prepared to take off again, but Godzilla’s hand shot out, stopping him. _“What are you doing!? Unhand me, imbecile!”_

 _“We’re_ not _going to be able to take Red down like that!”_ Godzilla stated. _“You might as well be fighting it solo! Look, you don’t like me cause of all the times I stopped your plans, I get it, and I_ sure _as hell don’t like you. But unless we can actually work_ together, _and not as two working on their own and saying otherwise, we’re not going to be able to take that thing down!”_

Battra snarled, breathing heavily, but he didn’t make any movements, hostile or otherwise. _“You are… correct. Loathe I am to admit it. My power is not enough, even with the Old One in this… weakened state.”_

 _“…I’ve got an idea.”_ Godzilla muttered. _“How much can you lift?”_

Battra’s head snapped over, inhuman features the perfect picture of confusion. _“Why?”_

\--------------

“How’s the battle going!?” Maddie ran into the command center out of breath by herself. El was staying back, ready to snap the portal shut in case the Mind Flayer tried anything.

“Uh…” Mark blankly responded, staring at the screen.

“It is…” Serizawa struggled. “Going.”

Maddie turned to see what they were all looking at and was dumbfounded at the sight before her.

\------------

 _“YEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAW!”_ Godzilla boisterously bellowed, hanging from Battra’s arms as he soared through the air.

Godzilla let go, rolling into a ball, channeling a pulse through his dorsal spines. He released the pulse just as he hit Red in the head, stunning the demon kaiju.

Red screeched in furious pain, trying to shake off the force of the hit, as Battra sailed overhead, firing sparks of lightning into Red’s eyes. While the eyes regenerated, Battra looped back around, picking Godzilla back up, starting another attack run.

 _“I admit,”_ Battra growled as he carried Godzilla, _“I did not consider such a plan of attack.”_

 _“That’s good old human ingenuity for you!”_ Godzilla chuckled, charging his plates again before Battra released him this time.

Red looked to them, eyes shining with sheer, uncontrollable hatred, as it opened its mouth, the inner mouth shooting out, trying to snap at them.

Godzilla released the atomic energy through his mouth, slowing Battra’s flight, but striking Red’s inner mouth with the beam, burning it away.

Red roared in rage. **_“ENOUGH!”_** It declared, blasting the two with hellfire, sending them careening into the water below.

Godzilla spat out water as he returned to the surface, looking to Battra. _“Something tells me we’re just pissing it off.”_

 _“It is regenerating from its wounds faster than we can inflict them.”_ Battra recognized. _“It will become totally invincible soon, and when it does, we will be unable to destroy its heart.”_

 _“There has to be_ something _.”_ Godzilla shot back. _“How’d it get trapped in that game in the first place!? We’ll just recreate that.”_

 _“My sister and I combined our strengths.”_ Battra explained, glaring at the recuperating Red. _“A useless gesture now. She is not around to assist us.”_

 _“Um, yeah, okay…”_ Godzilla bit his lip. _“How about_ we _fuse our power, huh?”_

 _“You want me to combine…”_ Battra looked the lizard up and down. _“…With_ you?”

 _“Hey!”_ Godzilla barked. _“I’m not a fan of this idea either! But right now, we’ve literally got bigger problems.”_

Battra glanced at Red, examining the Demon Kaiju up and down. _“…Very well.”_

Battra began to flare he wings outward, shining red like a hellish star. Before he could do anything, however, Red charged down into the water, and snapped Battra up in its mouth.

 _“BATTRA!”_ Godzilla yelled. His _one_ ally…

How the hell was he supposed to win now?

Red let out a deep, sinister, bellowing laugh. **_“I told you. It is hopeless. You cannot defeat me.”_** It opened its mouth, ready to spit out more hellfire.

Godzilla ducked under the water, as hopelessness began to grip at his soul.

Red was right… it just kept regenerating and it was getting powerful enough to where Godzilla’s attacks didn’t even harm it…

The situation really _was_ hopeless.

Godzilla surfaced again, ready to meet death head-on.

He may not win… but he certainly wasn’t going to surrender.

Red’s face twisted in a hellish smile, drawing breath again. However, something in its black void of a mouth caught Godzilla’s attention.

Battra was still crawling around inside. He was chewed up, obviously in his death throes, but was moving in defiance of that, to the edge of Red’s mouth.

 _“The last of my strength… I bequeath to you.”_ Battra proclaimed.

Before Godzilla could ask what he meant, Battra’s entire body, not just the wings, exploded into a storm of the red lightning that haunted many of his nightmares. Red’s entire head was split open from the inside by the sheer concussive force, as all of it coalesced into a single bolt, and the lightning arced out, striking the portal.

The portal seemed to have the energy sustaining it siphoned away, shutting closed as the lightning built with power, before it came down, striking Godzilla right in the plates on his back.

He’d never been struck by lightning before, and honestly, even if you paid him all the money in the world, there was _no_ way in hell you’d be able to get Godzilla to do it again.

Every cell in his body was charged, spasming uncontrollably as the electricity stimulated them. He couldn’t even _begin_ to guess at the voltage, but it was _strong_. And that was when Godzilla realized something.

He wasn’t being _electrocuted._ This wasn’t some hail-mary attempt by the Mind Flayer to take him down as well.

He was being _supercharged!_

As Red’s head reformed, Godzilla drew on the atomic power he was used to, as well as the new electricity flowing through him, and spat it out of his mouth.

The normally blue beam of his atomic breath was… different. A burning red-orange, and Godzilla could see what looked like arcing electricity bouncing around the main beam. The blast struck Red in the lower body, burning away flesh, boiling blood, and melting through bone as it cut through to the other side, cauterizing the wound.

Red howled in genuine agony, and Godzilla laughed.

Guess who was too powerful to stop now.

The Demon Kaiju looked down in fury, spitting out yet another blast of that damn fire, as Godzilla simply rolled his eyes, ducking out of the way. The xenomorph-like inner mouth shot out, and Godzilla fired the spiral beam again, stopping the mouth in its tracks and reducing it to ash.

 _“Now… LET’S FINISH YOU OFF!”_ Godzilla roared, taking aim for Red’s sternum, or at least, the closest thing he could think of for the snake-like body.

Godzilla charged the spiral beam and fired again. Red tried to cover its body where Godzilla was aiming, but the supercharged beam was so hot, it just wound up burning through the flesh and hands in the way.

Red staggered, as the beam tore into its monstrous flesh, melting fat and burning the skin as it dug deep towards the heart. Red suddenly froze up, and the thunderous drum-like beating that had been ringing throughout the area suddenly stopped.

 _“ **No…”**_ Red staggered, clutching the one wound it couldn’t regenerate from. **_“I am the Almighty… I WILL NEVER DIE, NEVER!”_** It screeched, glowing red cracks appearing in its skin, spreading out to make it seem as if every wrinkle, every seam in its body was glowing as well.

 ** _“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“_** Red bellowed furiously as the glowing cracks ate it away from the inside out, before it suddenly froze up, like a statue, and disintegrated.

It was a pleasant sight, watching that face that had been taunting and tormenting them for the past few hours crumble into nothing.

 _“OH YEAH!”_ Godzilla pumped his fist. _“WHO’S THE KING!? ME, THAT’S WHO!”_

The door on the upper platform of the base slammed open, someone coming running out to look.

“Holy shit…” Maddie breathed, leaning against the railing. “Holy shit! G, you know what you just did!?”

Godzilla turned to look, the last sparks of red lightning dying as his body consumed it to heal his wounds. _“What’d I do?”_

“You just killed a _Demon_ _!_ ” Maddie gushed.

 _“…huh.”_ Godzilla blinked. _“I guess that did happen.”_ Still, he checked the water to make sure nothing was down in it. _“Mads, you wanna take a look and see if the cartridge is still there?”_

The girl nodded, running over to the NES and popping it open. “It’s gone!”

 _“Good. That means it’s dead for real this time.”_ Godzilla smiled to himself satisfactorily. A yawn cut through his being, and he looked to the sky, orange as sunset began to take hold. _“Oh, I’m tired… I’m gonna go take a radioactive nap or something.”_

“Okay,” Maddie nodded, but notably, Godzilla didn’t move. “You, uh… You gonna move?”

_“…can you sleep with me tonight?”_

Maddie laughed incredulously. “What?”

_“It’s just, that was a lot of shit and I’m worried it might have an effect on you.“_

“Oh, wait, I know what this is!” She held up a hand to stop him. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

_“I’m Godzilla! I’m not scared of anything!”_

“Good,” Maddie theatrically turned, “You don’t need me then.”

 _“Wait!”_ Godzilla sighed. _“Yeah, you got me… I just…”_ An unpleasant shudder rocked him. _“That was freaky, all of it.”_

“Fine… scaredy-cat.”

\-----------

Back in the Upside Down, an onyx-black egg tucked away in a safe place suddenly split open. A gargantuan swarm of particles, which had all been compressed down in the egg, took to the sky, red electricity sparking between the components.

It took on an enormous, spider-like form, looming above the dead trees and the diseased landscape.

The Mind Flayer rumbled.

That was the _last_ time it did anything for Mothra’s children. Sister or not, Mothra could solve her kids’ problems her own damn self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	8. How to Tame Your Godzilla

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a quick jump back in time to Lake Jordan to see the beginning of Godzilla and Maddie's friendship.

Maddie leaned on the window of the passenger side of the car, watching blankly as scenery passed her by. Her father had accepted that job offer from that doctor, Serizawa, and uprooted them to move somewhere else.

Her dad glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. “Hey, kiddo, I know it’s rough, but you gotta keep an open mind, at least. You might like it here.”

She didn’t know how she could say that. She liked Boston, it was her home, with all her friends, Noah, Ryan, Gabbie, and Rose, with the home she’d grown up in. The place she grew up with _Andrew_. Moving away from it wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was practically an insult to his memory.

To make matters worse, it wasn’t even another big city or anything like that. It was Indiana. _Rural_ Indiana. Hawkins, the place which’s only came to fame was the giant lizard supposedly living in the lake. She said supposedly because, well, one-hundred-foot-tall lizards don’t show up every day. It was probably a hoax, Serizawa was probably a crackpot who’d ‘misplace’ her dad’s paychecks when payday came, and she was probably going to die to death of boredom in that stupid town.

Then again, she shouldn’t be so hard. Serizawa, Graham, and Chen were all apparently old friends of her dad’s, which is probably why they sought him out to begin with. Then again, Maddie _also_ knew that the moment they showed up, they’d start treating her like a baby and start going ‘oh, it’s been so long, you’ve grown so much’ and she wasn’t prepared for that.

The last thing she wanted to happen was for her to be condescended to because of her age.

“Hey,” Her dad suddenly spoke up again, “What do you say tonight we order a pizza or something and watch a movie, huh? My treat.”

“…yeah, okay.” Maddie noncommittally mumbled, still looking out the window.

She may have to put up with it. But that didn’t mean she had to like it, by God.

\----------

Maddie wandered aimlessly around the small camp the scientists had set up. True to what she had been expecting, she hated it so far. The outpost was pretty far out from the town, the town was small, the outpost was small, there were only a few people there, and she was the only one there her age.

She wanted to be home, in Boston, with her _friends._

In her dad’s defense, the place held far too many memories of Andrew, but instead of facing them head-on, her father chose to run, and dragged her along for the ride.

She didn’t want to be here. Not one bit. Yet, for the foreseeable future, her life looked to be set in Hicksville.

The scientists were nice enough people, she supposed, but that didn’t automatically make everything okay.

She _wanted_ to be angry. If she wasn’t angry, they’d assume that Maddie had accepted everything. She hadn’t accepted it.

So, gritting her teeth, Maddie set about breaking the one, the _only_ rule set out for her. ‘Don’t get close to the lake.’ They said Godzilla hadn’t harmed any of them, but Maddie was a new person, and they wanted him to acclimate before she went snooping around his territory.

Maddie snorted. She had a dog once; she knew how to handle herself around animals.

So, out it was, to the lake.

Maddie was thankful she was on the far side of the place, at least. No one to stop her when she inevitably broke the rule. She stood on the edge, looking down into that murky, brown water. Ugh.

And then, she turned, walking around the rim of the lake.

This entire situation was beyond fucked. The only saving grace was that Vivienne was a nice woman, and so was Chen, but she couldn’t _stand_ the two dudes acting like an old married couple, and Serizawa was… well, the less said about his reverence of the giant lizard the better.

Maddie lost herself in thought, considering everything. She wanted to go back to her home. She wanted her brother back.

She wanted everything to be _normal_ again.

And, as Maddie’s train of thought ran away, taking her along for the ride, she didn’t notice a weak spot on the edge of the lake, a drop-off that had been dug away to make room for the lifeform inside.

She stepped on that weak, uneven ground, and the soil gave beneath her feet.

It would have been a simple matter to just reach for the edge and pull herself out. But this was December, and in a really cold part of Indiana too.

The cold water was such a shock to Maddie’s system, it was like her body was flash-paralyzed, the girl unable to even move her head it was so cold.

And, without any means of keeping herself afloat, and in the wrong position to float on her back, she sank.

\-------------

Will let out a deep, rumbling sigh. God knows how long he’d been under there, but at this point, he was beginning to go stir-crazy. There weren’t many things to keep a giant monster entertained, and he’d _long_ outgrown the stuff stashed away in his hidden den he’d carved out at the bottom of the lake.

He wasn’t even sure how long he’d been in the lake anymore. He lost track after jumping in that first time and tried to keep count after Independence Day had come but lost it again. The days had a funny way of blending together when there was literally _nothing_ to distinguish them. The only reasonable method of keeping track of the days were when the scientists visited the boardwalk, and even then, that was spotty at best because they didn’t always visit, and even when they did, he might’ve been asleep.

He would say there were worse problems to have, but he wasn’t so sure. Nobody visited him outside of those scientists doing their tests, and even then, they didn’t realize the true breadth of his intelligence. Even those who’d seen him in action, like the Party, treated their single visit to him like giving an animal a treat for good behavior rather than conversing with another sapient being.

It made him want to cry, truthfully. His father would say he was being a pussy, but Will would like to see _him_ put through hell and have everything decent in his life ripped away just when things might be starting to look up.

It was a concerning pattern, actually. Just when he’d started recovering from his _shitbag_ excuse for a paternal unit, he got pulled into hell itself. When he started healing from _that,_ he got possessed by an entity far beyond human comprehension. And when _THAT_ was done, he started turning into a monster and had to fight off a monster made of melted people.

Some days Will wondered if he was the person with _literally_ the worst life on the planet.

A sound, like a muffled gunshot or similar thunderous event, rung throughout the water, and Will searched around. Something had broken the surface of the water. Odd. Nobody threw things into the lake, and if they did, it was usually a small remote-control sub they’d used to get a look at him up close, not something to make a splash as big as the one he’d heard.

Still feeling the residual ripples, Will leaned forward and began to swim, deciding to investigate.

His eyes were tailored for the water, but even he couldn’t see so far ahead. Eventually however, he picked it out, a shape in the water. Someone had entered the lake, and they weren’t swimming.

His heart began to race. They were going to drown if they didn’t start paddling, the idiot! And then, he considered. Maybe they _couldn’t_ swim. He’d gotten a shock to his system like that once, and it made it near-impossible to do anything other than be terrified.

They probably needed his help.

Will stopped for a moment. He was probably a good hundred-feet tall or so now. Crushing the poor bastard on accident would be too easy. But, he had to help.

Swimming along, Will tried to reach his titanic hands out, scooping the person up, and raising them above the water. He poked his head out a second later, and roared, as loud as he could.

He couldn’t give the person CPR in his state, obviously.

He just hoped the other people were fast enough to save them.

\-----------

“Wow…” Mark commented, looking around the lab he’d found himself in. Samples from Godzilla sat scattered around, as well as some notebooks and manilla folders. “Some mess.”

“Yes,” Serizawa chuckled. “I know it is a mess. I should probably invest in a filing cabinet.”

“Hey, I’m in no position to comment.” Mark replied. “I just noticed; you’ve got a lot of stuff.”

“If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects.” Serizawa sagely replied. “…And hoard everything that looks even slightly cool.”

Mark chuckled at that, before a deep, bellowing roar tore through the air, rumbling the building like a thunder strike. “What the hell?”

Serizawa was on his feet in a moment, peeking out the window. “It is Gojira. He is surfacing… Odd.”

“Does he not normally do that?” Mark asked, joining to look as well.

“No… but it appears he has something in his hand.” Serizawa replied.

Mark furrowed his brow. That blue parka looked familiar… It then hit him like a truck.

“Madison!” He worriedly breathed, sprinting outside.

\------------

Will walked onto the shallow parts of the lake, finally bringing his hand down to get a good look at the person he’d recovered.

He gasped internally. What was El doing here? No… no, not El. She was too teeny to be El. But she certainly bore a resemblance.

“HEY!” A furious man shouted, running out, pointing at Will angrily. “PUT HER DOWN!”

Will responded with a low roar. What, did the guy think he was going to hurt the girl? Never.

Still, wanting to avoid a conflict, he acquiesced, letting her down onto the leaf-covered beach.

\----------

“Maddie!” Mark pressed his hear to her chest. She wasn’t breathing. “Madison!”

Serizawa finally caught up, Vivienne on his trail.

“She’s not breathing!” Mark desperately told the others. He didn’t know CPR. He may have technically been a doctor, but not that kind of doctor.

“Here, let me.” Vivienne, keeping calm as always, got to her knees next to Maddie, starting chest compressions.

The two men, and giant lizard monster, watched with bated breath, as after about a minute of compressions, the girl began to cough, spitting out water.

“Maddie!” Mark breathed in relief, pulling her in. “You’re okay… What did we say about the lake!?”

“S-“ Maddie coughed, weakly replying. “Sorry… How… how did you guys know I was in trouble?”

“Yes, about that…” Serizawa stepped aside, allowing her to see the enormous creature looming there.

“Wow…” Maddie breathed, lips parting in awe as the figure stood there, silhouetted against the sun. She tried to get up, being helped to her feet by her father. She took a step, being blocked by her dad.

“Careful.” He warned.

“…He saved my life already.” Maddie guessed, gently wresting herself free, still approaching the towering leviathan. “If he wanted to hurt me, he could’ve done it already… Right, big guy?” She quietly asked, getting as far as she could without setting foot in the cold water.

The enormous life form rumbled, a monstrous smile twisting his lips, as he nodded.

“So… I guess I have you to thank.” Maddie looked up at him in wonder. Her hand twitched as she got an idea, and she held it up, presenting it to the standing monster. “Can… Can I?”

Godzilla’s eyes widened in surprise as he tilted his head.

“Unless, you don’t want to-“

Godzilla cut her off by laying flat on his belly, placing his head close near where she was standing. Maddie reached out and placed her hand against the creature’s skin.

To the girl, it felt… an odd mix of leathery and rubbery. Like the alligator skin on that gaudy purse her mom owned, only alive, warm and faintly pulsing with blood flow.

As Maddie stood there at Godzilla’s snout, Mark looked like he was on the verge of having a heart attack. All it would take was a twitch, and she’d be snapped up in a set of giant shark-like teeth.

Yet, it never came. As Maddie stood there, rubbing the patch of scales on Godzilla’s snout like she was petting a dog, the only thing the gargantuan animal did was close his eyes and purr.

Yes, _purr_. Not rumble, not growl, _purr like a goddamn cat._

“Incredible…” Serizawa breathed, sounding supremely jealous at the opportunity Maddie had been granted. He probably would’ve moved to join her, if it wouldn’t startle Godzilla.

“Yeah,” Mark shot back, trying to keep his blood pressure under control, “That’s one word.” He let out a startled yelp as Maddie ceased with the stroking and took a step up to trying to hug Godzilla.

“You’re warm.” She commented. “Not hot… I thought something as big as you would be hot like an oven or something.”

“It’s amazing.” Vivienne joined Serizawa in gawking. “He’s _never_ let any of us touch him.”

“Well,” Maddie turned to look, still keeping her arms wrapped to get herself warm as Godzilla happily vibrated. “Did you try _asking_ him?”

Vivienne and Serizawa looked at each other, surprised. “We’d… never considered that.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious. How would _you_ like it if someone came up and tried to cop a feel without your permission?”

“Yeah, right.” Mark cleared his throat. “Now, if you’re done?”

“Not yet.” Maddie replied. “I still need to warm up.”

The three adults looked at each other warily, but as Godzilla hadn’t done anything, allowed it to keep going.

From that day forth, Maddie’s _official_ title at the conservation effort was ‘Godzilla Tamer.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	9. Mirror Mirror, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Godzilla wakes up one morning and is face with the most difficult sight he's ever witnessed.
> 
> Himself.

El sat in her room in the Byers’s Castle Bravo quarters, moving around some of her stuff through the air with her hands. A sheet of paper floated in the air, a colored pencil lightly scraping the surface, leaving behind Mike’s name in a heart.

What was she doing? One would ask. Well, the answer was, she was keeping her powers in shape. Not only had the Angel restored them, they seemed to get a _boost._ She had much finer control of her movements than she ever had, not even having to twitch any of her muscles to make her powers work. She just… thought, and things happened, and she wanted to test to just how finely tuned they were now.

So that was what she was doing. Although, she had to admit, there were still parts of her powers that bugged her. Everything returned to normal, and then some, but there were some elusive black spots that evaded her. The most, being Godzilla.

Allow me to explain. El typically viewed everyone, no matter where they were. Before calling Mike, she’d spy on him to make sure he was in a position where he’d be able to answer the phone. Before going over to spend time with Maddie (even discounting the fact they looked alike, she was the only other female approaching El’s age in the base), she’d check to make sure the other girl was free.

But Godzilla? Trying to view him in the void was like hitting a brick wall, and it was _frustrating._ She guessed it might’ve had something to do with the Upside Down altering him so much, or that he was just such an immense organism now, her mind couldn’t make the connection.

But she was nothing if not stubborn. And she _wanted_ to make this work. So, dropping the paper and the pencil, she turned her focus to the image of Will, but stopped. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t working. Godzilla himself didn’t consider himself to be Will Byers anymore, the only reason Joyce was able to get away with calling him as such due to the fact that she was his mother.

So, El reevaluated her process. Instead of focusing on Will, the lanky bowl-cut boy, she focused on Godzilla, the titanic, four-hundred-foot-tall lizard-monster capable of shooting atomic fire from his mouth.

An image began to form into the void, and El got excited, thinking she had finally made the breakthrough she had wanted.

And then, the image popped out of existence, the link snapping like a rubber band. El recoiled, collapsing, as a spike of pain drove into her forehead.

Joyce heard her slamming into the floor, and came to investigate, showering El with worry.

The girl didn’t hear any of it, her ears ringing like a gun had been fired right next to her head. Moments passed as the world blurred, and she slipped away.

\--------------

Castle Bravo, Monarch’s outpost dedicated to observing Godzilla, suddenly went on high alert, alarms sounding like the horns of the apocalypse, as the people inside scrambled to get a clue of what was going on.

 _It was three in the morning,_ why were the alarms going!?

Mark stirred in his quarters, glaring at the ceiling. As much as he wanted to ignore it, alarms meant bad stuff, and you couldn’t ignore bad stuff if you were an adult.

So, he pushed himself up, moving to get to the command center and find out what the hell was going on.

Maddie appeared at her door, nursing some serious bedhead. “Dad…” She yawned. “What is it?”

“Don’t know, kiddo.” Mark replied. “But I’ll find out.”

“Okay…” She nodded. “And tell them not to make the alarm so loud next time?” She requested going to flop back in her bed.

Huffing to himself, jealous that his daughter got to go back to sleep, he left the room, on the proverbial warpath.

\---------------

The world around Godzilla suddenly went from wet, being underwater in the middle of the ocean, to bone-dry, sunlight bearing down on him.

Something poked his side, and his eyes snapped open, as he looked around to the culprit.

There was an enormous, crawling, lizard… _THING_ trying to bite into his side.

Godzilla roared furiously, knocking the crawler away as he stood tall, and looked around in confusion.

Where the hell was he? This looked like an island of some kind, tropical, and though the sun was poking through overhead, there was a band of dark clouds surrounding the island, like they were… concealing it.

Godzilla shook his head, clearing his throat. Where was he? How did he get here?

 _“I don’t think it’s possible for something that’s my size to get drunk, but-“_ Godzilla began thinking to himself, only to be cut off as the ground rumbled.

Something was charging him from the forest.

The reptilian titan turned, raising his fists, prepared to meet more of those crawling creatures head-on.

Instead, what he got was… a monkey. In fact, an ape to be precise. And it was _huge_. Bigger than Godzilla himself.

Damnit, just when he thought he was the biggest monster out there, something always came to show him up. It was starting to get ridiculous.

 _“Uh, hello there.”_ Godzilla blinked after a moment, hoping that the giant ape wasn’t hostile.

Of course, his luck went the exact _opposite_ way.

 _“TRESSPASER!”_ The Ape snarled, charging.

Godzilla had barely any time to react, as the ape leapt, trying to tackle him to the ground.

Goddammit, he hated Saturdays.

\--------------

“What’s going on?” Mark demanded immediately, striding into the command center.

Rick, still dressed for sleep, turned to look at him. “Well, good morning to you too!”

“Not in the mood, Rick.” Mark growled irritably. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

“Well,” Rick rolled his eyes, but went to tap commands into the computer terminals. “Godzilla’s decided he’s going to have a throwdown with Kong, one night only.”

 _That_ caused Mark to jolt fully awake. _“Kong?”_ There were cave paintings showing a battle between two titans resembling Godzilla’s species and Kong’s, but Godzilla seemed like the last titan to go around picking fights. If anything, it was the opposite. He usually _stopped_ fights before they even had the chance to start up, if that little skirmish between Rodan and Scylla was any indication.

“Are you _sure?”_ Mark questioned. It was no secret that he didn’t really _like_ Godzilla, but this was so far out of character, it just didn’t mesh with his image of the titan. Well, his new image of the titan. Pre-Ghidorah, he might’ve just said ‘yep, told you guys so’ but _this?_

Skull Island wasn’t part of Godzilla’s known territorial routes. Sure, Godzilla’s path _passed_ by the island, but it would still be out of Godzilla’s way.

So, why did he break off and go to the island?

Or, a better question might be, who started the fight?

“Rick,” Mark looked to him, “Can we get Godzilla’s bio-acoustics?”

“Sure.” The man typed in his keyboard, pulling them up onto the screen.

Mark looked at the screen, frowning.

“Well, that isn’t right.” Ilene, who’d been silent up to that point, furrowed her eyebrows. “He seems almost-“

“Calm.” Mark finished.

“Well, not calm.” Rick shot down. “His stress levels are elevated, and it shows he’s on the move, he’s not calm.”

“No, but,” Mark turned to Rick, jerking a thumb at the screen, “Doesn’t that seem a bit _too_ low to you?”

“It’s as if…” Ilene searched. “Godzilla is not concerned with the battle.”

“Yeah, I mean,” Rick snorted, “Giant monkey versus… That Guy. I wouldn’t be scared either.”

Mark furrowed his eyebrows. “You’ve got eyes out there?”

“Drones are on the way, but they’re not the Flash, man.” Rick shot back. “Be patient.”

Mark turned away, huffing. Patience could be a death sentence when it came to titan brawls.

\--------------

The King swam through his territory at a breakneck pace, following the disturbance he felt tearing through his kingdom. It was a most… unnatural thing, and he wasn’t sure if it was an actual threat, or some freak accident that the tiniest of his subjects had inflicted upon themselves again.

Regardless, he had to investigate.

Following what he felt to the source wasn’t difficult. The King was most concerned with breaking his routes, intruding on that Ape’s little island. Then again, he wasn’t _that_ concerned.

Kong was little more than an entitled brat who thought he ruled the world because the people of his island worshipped him. How out-of-touch. They were _all_ worshipped as gods, Kong was not special in that regard.

Kong would be easy to deal with. If he was expecting the King to go easy on him, he had something else coming. He didn’t care if he had to rip that island to shreds, if what he felt was a threat, the King would deal with it.

Eventually, he came up on the island, and the King prepared to emerge onto land.

\------------

The giant ape, ‘King Kong’ as he so theatrically proclaimed himself, was more than a match for Godzilla. He seemed to have an instinctive knowledge of the mutant lizard’s capabilities, dodging atomic breath blasts and using his own tail to trip him up.

It might’ve sounded crazy, but Godzilla was _sure_ Kong had fought him before. That was the only way to get this level of experience.

Problem was Godzilla didn’t remember ever fighting him. And though he was built like a tank, Kong was maneuverable, light on his titanic feet, hurriedly rushing around and striking Godzilla on all sides. Plus, he had a good hundred feet on him, give or take a few stories.

Kong snarled as he pounded his chest, jumping around and striking Godzilla in the back, knocking the lizard to the ground.

They’d been fighting like this for a few hours by now… and Godzilla was losing. Badly. Not _only_ did Kong have the home-field-advantage, but Godzilla had been in the middle of sleeping when he was dropped down here, and no amount of adrenaline would help.

Indeed, for the seventh and what seemed like the final time, Godzilla fell to the ground.

 _“No…”_ Godzilla groggily grunted, bleeding out from bite wounds all over his body. _“No more…”_

Kong stomped over, saying nothing but growling furiously, as he loomed over. It was clear what his intent was, as he went for Godzilla’s throat, prepared to rip it out.

Godzilla closed his eyes, prepared for it to happen, as the stomping reached earthquake levels.

 ** _‘SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-ONK!’_** Something roared in the distance.

Godzilla’s eyes snapped back open, and he looked at Kong, the enormous ape turning around cautiously. He slowly looked up, following Kong’s line of sight, and he was caught between relief, awe, and disbelief at the figure standing haloed against the sun.

It was _another_ him. Noticeably Kong’s height, and… worn. His scales were marred in all sorts of battle scars, parts of his dorsal plates were chipped, and his eyes were steelier with age, but there was no mistaking it.

Another Godzilla had joined the battle.

Kong pounded his chest and roared.

The Other Godzilla was having none of it, and roared right back, even louder than the first one. It was clear what the message was. _‘I don’t care that you think this is your territory. Leave. NOW.’_

Kong positioned himself for a fight but took stock of the situation. He’d taken down the first Godzilla, but he didn’t come out of that fight entirely unharmed himself and picking a fight with the obviously bigger and more experienced one was only likely to end in severe injury, or worse.

Kong barred his teeth, growling, but stepped back, receding back into the island.

The First Godzilla let out a breath and flopped down. The earthquake-like footsteps shook him as the Other Godzilla approached.

 _“Rest…”_ The Older Godzilla commanded in a deep, rumbling voice. _“Little one.”_

 _“Rest, yeah, sounds…”_ The First Godzilla weakly muttered, drifting off. _“Sounds good…”_

\------------

When the drones Monarch sent out finally got on-site, the battle was over. However, they did manage to get a picture of the aftermath.

And it confused the _hell_ out of most everyone on that base.

Rick shot to his feet first, staring at the screen with wide eyes, eyebrows shooting up. “…You guys seeing what I’m seeing?” He breathed.

Mark wanted to respond in the negative, but he couldn’t. He was seeing the same thing as everyone else, and honestly? It kind of scared the hell out of him.

There were _two_ Godzillas.

The one they were familiar with, the larger specimen, was carrying a smaller reflection of himself into the water. The smaller one had injuries all over its body, wounds sustained from the fight with Kong most likely.

Godzilla might have been _special,_ but he wasn’t a totally unique lifeform, not like Mothra. He was just an extremely powerful member of an otherwise larger species. That was something Monarch had knowledge of first-hand, the proof being the skeleton sitting in Castle Bravo’s proverbial basement. So, that explained how there could be two, but that left a bigger question:

Where in the _hell_ did this new Godzilla come from?

Was it hibernating somewhere out of the way like the big one, and something caused it to wake up, or (and this was the more terrifying option) was this Godzilla’s offspring?

Could he reproduce spontaneously like that? He _was_ male, so it should’ve been silly to consider, but what they knew about titans proved that the enormous creatures could violate the laws of nature that humans had set out like it was nothing. Maybe that power boost Mothra gave him during Boston had some… side effects. Like pregnancy.

Regardless of the cause, they were looking at the effect now. _Two_ Godzillas.

Though any sane person would look at the sight and shudder from the destructive potential that image conjured, Mark had a different reason for the chills running up his spine.

He was going to have to give a briefing about this.

He _hated_ briefings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	10. Mirror Mirror, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting you've been waiting for.

The King didn’t know what to make of it. Even before the Long Sleep, he was the last of his kind, he knew. It was something he’d _long_ since accepted. The rest of his clutch died before he even hatched, and his progenitors had only been around long enough to tell him what would be expected of him, before they too expired.

The closest thing he had left to another member of his kind was Anguirus, and that was mostly out of affection than anything else. Anguirus was just as different to him as he was to Mothra. (Speaking of whom, he’d have to track down her egg this time. He knew she laid another one before helping him take down the False King, but she hadn’t shared that information during the battle.)

But here he was, another like him…

Kong had wounded him severely, and it took all the King had within him _not_ to rip the pitiful excuse for a ruler limb from limb. The _idiot_ should’ve known it wasn’t the King, should’ve instead stepped down and alerted the King immediately.

Oh well, the past was the past. He could punish Kong for his mistake later, for now he had to focus on the other like him.

The King had many dens throughout his territory, tucked away from prying eyes. While his _favorite_ had been the old city the humans had built and then sank, that one was gone, so he took the smaller one to an island just off his patrol route. The humans wouldn’t be able to find it. Even their… flying eye machines wouldn’t be able to pierce the veil surrounding the island.

The little one could rest here and regenerate, making use of the Itching Heat to recharge.

Hm… he’d have to ask the whelp about his name when he woke up. And give him one, if he had to.

The little one twitched in his sleep, huffing.

\-----------

“ _Two_ Godzillas!?” Maddie practically gushed, as her father explained the reason for the alarms in the middle of the night.

It was breakfast now, and after a long night of many questions and figuring out what to do, Mark went back to his and Maddie’s quarters, ready to collapse. If he _didn’t_ get a twenty-four-hour sleep, he’d be very unhappy with the world.

“Yep,” Mark grumbled, “Gave us all a good scare. We thought it was Godzilla and Kong throwing down.”

“That’s awesome though!” Maddie continued. “Where’d he come from? How big is he? Have you guys got a name for him yet?”

“No idea, about a hundred feet shorter than the big guy, and we’re still debating on that.” Mark answered respectively. “The titles in the running are Godzilla Junior and Minilla.”

Maddie tried to hold back her laughter but couldn’t contain it. _“Minilla?”_

“Rick’s idea.” Mark rubbed his head. “Like mini Godzilla.”

Maddie shook her head, letting her laughter die down. “Okay, but seriously, what?”

“Right now,” Mark leaned on his arms, feeling like he could fall asleep at any moment, “We’re calling him Godzilla Filius.”

“…Yeah, not as snappy.” Maddie stated after a moment’s consideration, as she picked at her eggs. “Where is he now?”

“No idea.” Mark let out a frustrated sigh. “You’d _think_ it’d be easy tracking something that big, especially when there are two of them.”

“Maybe he’s like Drax!” Maddie suggested with a giggle. “’I’ve mastered the art of standing so incredibly still, I’ve become invisible to the naked eye…’”

“Hmph.” Mark chuckled. He yawned, rubbing his face.

“Tired?” Maddie inquired, though she didn’t strictly need to.

“Yeah…” He muttered. “They’ve been running me ragged since I woke up1 this morning.”

“Well,” Maddie looked at him, “Go and get some sleep. The world’s not gonna end because you’re taking a nap.”

“Nah, kiddo.” Mark shook his head. “They might need me.”

“They’ll _need_ someone who’s not about to fall over from exhaustion.” Maddie retorted.

Mark sighed. “I can’t argue with you on this, can I?”

“Nope!”

\---------

“Mmph…” Godzilla mutter-groaned, twitching as the last vestiges of sleep drifted from his mind.

Odd. He usually shared dreams with Maddie. It was a side effect of having that… link that allowed them to communicate. And usually, he was able to remember the dreams. Why not this time?

An itching heat prickled at his skin, and he shook, trying to shake it off, before he realized something.

Radiation. There were no radiation sources near Castle Bravo. And then he realized he wasn’t underwater, as was usual with his sleep.

The events of the fight with Kong hit him like a ton of bricks, as his eyes shot open, and he looked around in desperate confusion.

He was underground, in a massive cave with lava flows illuminating the space. Kong had _kicked his **ass** , _so… why was he here?

Godzilla got to his feet, staggering unsteadily as he shook off the head rush.

A thunderous rumbling, footsteps shaking the ground, caught his attention as something entered the cave.

Godzilla turned, readying his fists defensively as something marched in, and then the second realization hit him.

He wasn’t hallucinating. There really _had_ been another him that stepped into the fight. But… as much as he wanted to thank the stranger, he was on the defensive.

Who knew what kind of trick this was?

“Stay back.” Godzilla warned, as the duplicate almost a full hundred feet taller than him approached. “I’ve got atomic breath, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

“Use it, then.” The Other Him replied in a deep, rumbling baritone.

Godzilla blinked. “What?”

The Other Him didn’t respond, thwacking Godzilla in the side with his tail, knocking him to the ground.

It didn’t _hurt,_ but it smarted.

“Hey!” Godzilla barked. “What the hell!?”

“Threats of violence are meaningless unless they can be supported.” The Older Godzilla reached down with a clawed hand, pulling the younger up. “Those that wish to harm you will not be dissuaded by idle threats.”

“Yeah, I learned that already.” Godzilla grumbled, pushing the older’s arm away. A monstrous scowl split his face, as he looked at the older specimen. “Who exactly are you anyway? You kidnap me, knock me on my ass, and then help me back up? You’re the most bipolar host I’ve ever met!”

The Older Godzilla rumbled, huffing. “I am the King of this land.”

“Yeah, well, _I’m_ the King of the Monsters.” Godzilla retorted.

“Ha!” The Older laughed derisively. “And what have you done to earn that title? I patrol my kingdom, keeping the peace, preventing my subjects from destroying one another. What have _you_ done?”

“I, uh…” Godzilla stuttered. “I defeated a three-headed dragon that could shoot lightning from its mouths.”

Instantly, the Older’s slightly warm but distant disposition vanished. “Do not insult me, youngling. I know of the usurper you speak of. And I know it was _I_ who dealt the killing blow, not you.”

“Yeah?” Godzilla returned the narrow eyes. “How’d ‘you’ do it then, huh?”

The Elder scowled. “The pulses from my fire incinerated the Usurper just as easily as the metal hives surrounding it.”

“Well _I_ kept her from flying away by shooting holes in her wings, and then fired a blast of atomic breath into her mouth, before I ripped off her head.” Godzilla boasted. “’The Kiss of Death,’ I call it… It sucked. Kissing sucks.”

The Older recoiled by only a minute amount, looking somewhat impressed. Not about the kissing part, but the description of the takedown. “Interesting… Even if you fabricated the detail of fighting the Usurper, the rest of it’s too intricate to be false…” He paced slowly around the younger. “What’s your name, whelp?”

Godzilla stood tall, proud, puffing out his chest. “I’m Godzilla. King of the Monsters.” Yeah, the newspaper gave him that title, but damnit, it was cool, so he was running with it.

“I didn’t ask your title; I asked your name.” The Older grumbled, poking holes in the Younger’s sails.

“Uh…” Godzilla blinked cluelessly.

“Your clan.” The Elder elaborated. “Do you know your clan?”

Godzilla bit his lower lip. “…William. Of clan Byers.”

“Hmm…” The Elder rumbled, sniffing the air around him. “You smell… different. Like one of our kind, but with the stench of the humans. And you speak wrong. Like you are pretending to know of our ways, but ignorant… And your name.”

Godzilla blinked. “My… name?”

“Our kind does not give out our true names so easily.” The Elder criticized, looking the smaller up and down. “The clan name would have sufficed. Who are you? One of our kind who has no knowledge of our customs?”

“Sorry, ‘our?’” Godzilla repeated. “You make it sound like there’s more of us.”

The Older’s eyes narrowed. “…How old are you, whelp?”

“Fifteen.” Godzilla answered.

“Fifteen what?” The Older demanded.

“Fifteen years.” Godzilla elaborated in frustration. “You know, every twenty-four hours, the sun rises, and three-hundred-sixty-five of those make a year?”

The Older looked the Younger up and down. “You’re barely a pup.”

“Hey!” Godzilla didn’t know what that meant, but he could guess. “I’m a teenager! You know, an adolescent?”

The Elder snorted. “Please. I’ve got skin parasites bigger than you, grub.”

“Hey,” Godzilla seethed, pointing. “I’ve been dropped off god knows where, I have many unexplained bruises and facial lacerations, my friends are probably wondering where I am-“ He gasped, inhaling. “My friends… _Maddie!”_ He launched into a mad frenzy, making for the exit as fast as he could.

The Elder moved to block him. “You’re not going anywhere. Not until we get you sorted.”

“I’d like to see you stop me!” Godzilla growled back, feeling the electricity crackle up his dorsal plates, before firing.

The Elder roared, charging his own matching attack, firing it so that the beams intersected.

Godzilla tried to keep it up as long as he could, putting as much energy behind the attack as possible, but soon felt his power bottoming out, and dropped it.

The Older ceased fire and made an odd sound. “Hm… You’ve got a fire in you, pup. Potential, but unrefined.”

Godzilla scowled. “You going to stand there talking like Mister Miyagi, or are you going to let me out?”

“…Very well.” The Elder stood aside, allowing him out.

Godzilla ran out as fast as his legs could allow, running to the water. He stood, glaring at the older specimen, and dove into the water.

\-----------

Maddie walked around aimlessly through the corridors of the base, no endpoint in particular. She was just looking for something to keep her entertained. She sighed, rubbing her face as she walked up to the platform on the surface.

There wasn’t much to do up there, just… sit and listen to the waves and seagulls. It was calm, relaxing. The only real relaxing place on the entire base.

Maddie closed her eyes, and listened to the waves, as the water crashed below, and something broke the surface.

She looked down, and gasped.

Godzilla was looking up at her.

No… not Godzilla. She’d seen Godzilla firsthand during his fight against Ghidorah in Boston, she knew what he looked like. This one was different. He looked like a scaled down copy, yeah, but there were slight differences. He didn’t have nearly as many battle scars, and his skin looked less aged.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Maddie breathed quietly, looking down at the sea monster below. “Godzilla Filius…”

The young specimen of Godzilla’s species tilted his head and rumbled curiously.

“We saw Godzilla carrying you away after your fight with Kong.” She explained, voice full of wonder. “We thought Godzilla was the only one of his kind… where did you come from?”

Filius made a sound that could best be described as choked, hurting.

“I’m sorry,” Maddie quickly apologized, “Does it hurt to remember? I get that… Don’t worry.”

Filius frustratedly shook his head, splashing water everywhere.

“I should…” Maddie pointed to the base entrance. “Get inside. They’re probably freaking out because you’re so close.”

Filius let out a low warble, like an anguished sob, as Maddie walked away.

\--------------

Godzilla swam around the outside of Castle Bravo, looking around. _“Maddie?”_ He called mentally. _“Where are you, Maddie? I’m outside. I got transported to an island and there was this creepy karate-master lizard guy, but I’m back now.”_

Oddly, Maddie didn’t respond. Even if she didn’t want to talk, she usually sent back a response telling him as such. She never ignored him.

 _“Mads?”_ Godzilla repeated, doing a loop. He faintly registered voices, activity in the base, but none of them belonged to Maddie, so he turned them out.

His eyes searched, and he found what he was looking for above water. She was standing on the platform, looking out into the horizon.

Godzilla surfaced, huffing. _“Maddie, you will not believe the morning I’ve had. It’s crazy.”_ She didn’t respond to him, didn’t even register his presence. _“Maddie, are you listening? Maddie. Hey, Mads!”_ Godzilla splashed the water, trying to get her attention.

Finally, the girl looked down, and gasped.

 _“Finally.”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“It’s rude to ignore people, you know.”_

Oddly enough, Maddie didn’t seem to register what he was saying. “It’s you, isn’t it?” She breathed, locking eyes with him. “Godzilla Filius…”

Godzilla blinked, recoiling. _“Godzilla_ what? _”_

Still, Maddie didn’t respond. “We saw Godzilla carrying you away after your fight with Kong.” She continued.

 _“Maddie, don’t be ridiculous, it’s_ me _. How can I carry myself away from a battle? Unless you meant the old guy, but let’s be real here, you’d never mistake anyone else for me.”_

“We thought Godzilla was the only one of his kind… where did you come from?”

 _“Only one of his-“_ Godzilla repeated. _“Mads… this isn’t funny anymore.”_

“I’m sorry,” Maddie quickly apologized, “Does it hurt to remember? I get that… Don’t worry.”

 _“Please stop.”_ Godzilla begged. _“I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry. Please… Maddie, talk to me.”_

“I should…” Maddie pointed over her shoulder. “Get inside. They’re probably freaking out because you’re so close.” She turned, rushing off.

 _“…Maddie?”_ Godzilla sniffled. _“What… What’d I do?”_ He swallowed, turning away from the base and swimming off. If she didn’t want him around badly enough to give him that kind of treatment, then he wouldn’t stay.

 _“Why…?”_ He wondered. _“Did I… do something that I forgot? That made me wind up on that island and she hates me for it? I hope she doesn’t hate me…”_ Godzilla murmured to himself. _“I can’t handle it if she hates me.”_

“So…” A voice rumbled, breaking the water. It was the Older Godzilla. “Find what you were looking for?”

Godzilla stopped, looking at him and scowling. “You followed me. You said you’d let me be.”

“I said I’d let you go.” The Elder rumbled. “Didn’t say I wouldn’t follow. Wanted to know about this ‘Maddie’ who had you in such a panic. Thought she might’ve been your mate.”

Godzilla growled. “It doesn’t concern you.” He started swimming again.

“Actually, it does.” The Older Godzilla grumbled, keeping pace. “Cause you see, that was the same girl who used the horn the humans made to stop the others of our kind from attacking. She lured the Usurper to a point where I could fight them. And when they were about to kill her, she roared right back in defiance. She’s got a fire in her soul as well. I can see why you like her.”

Godzilla scowled. “You’re not making _any_ sense. What are you talking about? What others?”

“The rest of our brethren.” The Elder elaborated.

“The… rest?” Godzilla blinked.

The Elder frowned. “You don’t know… Do you?”

“No!” Godzilla barked. “And honestly, I’d better start getting some answers now, because none of this is making any sense. Maddie wouldn’t call me Godzilla, she kept calling me Filius! Do you know how much that hurt!? I just- I just… need answers.”

“Well, I don’t know about all the other stuff, but I can tell you about the Godzilla confusion.” The Elder rumbled.

“Great…” Godzilla sighed. “Please.”

“She wouldn’t call _you_ Godzilla because _I’m_ Godzilla.” The Older Godzilla explained.

“…No.” Godzilla scowled. “Hell no! Don’t you try to pull that shit on me!”

“It’s the truth.” The Older Godzilla explained. “Hear them calling me it the time.”

“But, no, _I’m…_ ” Godzilla blinked, shaking his head. “I _earned_ that name! Got it after my first battle!”

“Ha!” The Older Godzilla laughed. “Well, if you’ve got it after a battle, I can’t argue with that. But, let me ask you something, how do you know this… Maddie?”

Godzilla blinked. “What does that have to do with-“

“Humor me.”

“Alright…” Godzilla sighed. “I was living in Lake Jordan at the time, and the conservation effort was just setting up. Maddie and her dad, Mark, showed up one day and… the rest is history, I guess.”

“Hm…” The Elder grumbled. “And how long have you known her?”

“About… a year now?”

“See, that’s not right.” The Older Godzilla finally shot down. “I know because the kid’s been on that base for six months. After the battle against the Usurper.”

“Well, _yeah-“_

“If she met you at this lake, and was part of that conservation thing, wouldn’t that preclude being there?” The Older Godzilla suggested.

“Not… necessarily.” Godzilla replied. Even to him, the words sounded weak. The conservation effort lasted for a whole six months before moving to Castle Bravo, and then life on the base proceeded for a few weeks before all this started.

The timetables didn’t line up.

Something was seriously off.

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” Godzilla demanded.

“You don’t.” The Older Godzilla replied. “But I can take you to a third party if you need the proof.”

“…You know what, yeah.” Godzilla vehemently nodded. “Prove it.”

The Older Godzilla turned. “Then follow me closely… Hope you’re not bothered by volcanoes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	11. All I Want For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, all anybody needs for Christmas, is someone to spend it with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the christmas chapter. Don't worry, it's back to our regularly scheduled programming next one.
> 
> I won't be posting anything tomorrow, since it is Christmas Day, but I will get back to it on the 26th.

Maddie was, put simply, a girl who _loved_ Christmas. Everything about the holiday, the decorations, the food, the presents, getting to see family she hadn’t seen in a while, all of it. So naturally, when December rolled around, Maddie’s mood was constantly set to be the ‘anti-Grinch’ as the others in the compound had labeled it. Someone so enamored with the holiday, it was infectious. Near-singlehandedly, she managed to rope everybody into decorating the facility (something they said they wouldn’t be doing since the new base was still under construction and it’d be a hassle to pack up the décor with everything else). Indeed, thanks to her, the holiday mood spread through the base, gripping everyone.

In her unofficial position as holiday coordinator, Maddie made sure that everything was going nicely. Truthfully told, she hadn’t expected convincing Serizawa and Vivienne to put up decorations to turn into a full-blown Christmas party, but here she was. The party would happen the day before Christmas Eve, and everyone at the conservation effort was welcome, but not forced, to attend.

Even the Byers would be invited.

Soon, the day of the party came, and everyone was in a good mood. The attendees stood around, talking and telling jokes amongst themselves, while festive music played in the background. El was communicating with Vivienne, Joyce had been spending the past hour talking to Serizawa, Maddie was pretty sure Ilene was very-thinly concealed flirting with Mark, and Barnes was standing off to the side, eating all the sweets.

Yet, despite the fact that everyone who could fit in the building was there… there was still someone conspicuously missing.

It didn’t take Maddie any time at all to figure it out.

Grabbing a plate of food, Maddie threw on her heavy winter coat.

“Hey,” Mark glanced over to her, “Where ya off to?”

“Outside,” Maddie answered, zipping up. “It’s a bit loud in here.”

“Alright,” Mark granted, “Stay warm.”

“Yessir,” Maddie pointed, going outside into the cold.

She walked across the compound, inches of snow crunching under her feet, as she walked out onto the boardwalk. She came to a stop at the edge, brushing snow off the seat of the chair, before sitting down.

“Hey, Big G…” Maddie addressed, knowing that no matter how quietly she spoke, the resident of the lake could hear her.

The water rippled, as Godzilla slowly surfaced, his eyes the only thing peeking above the water. It was obviously a tight fit. Since Newt set the nuke off, Godzilla jumped from three-hundred to four-hundred feet, and the efforts to clear out the bottom of the lake were cancelled to facilitate the move to the new base… when it was finished.

 _“Hey, Maddie.”_ Godzilla quietly rumbled in response. Maddie noticed he sounded… dejected, almost depressed.

“You okay?” Maddie gently inquired.

 _“…Yeah.”_ Godzilla answered, lying through his spiky, monstrous teeth. _“I’m good.”_

“I brought you a plate…” Maddie held it up. “I know it’s not big, especially not to you, but…”

 _“Thanks, Mads.”_ Godzilla smiled. _“You know they say it’s the thought that counts.”_

“I know…” The girl looked down sadly. “It just makes me sad… Christmas is such a happy, good time. You should be spending it with us.”

 _“How do you know I celebrate Christmas?”_ Godzilla rumbled in response. _“I might’ve been Jewish in my past life for all you know.”_

“Your family celebrates it, and they said you did too.” Maddie relayed. “I just… you’ve saved all our lives.” She looked to him. “You should be with us.”

_“You know I can’t. I’d crush the building.”_

“That shouldn’t stop them from coming out here!” Maddie vehemently retorted. The way the others were acting in there, you’d think it was impossible to see Godzilla, even though he was just across the compound. “Especially not your own mother!”

_“…I’m fine with it Maddie, really.”_

“You shouldn’t be.” Maddie replied.

 _“I was always a bit of a loner, even before…”_ Godzilla closed his eyes. _“I only had three friends, you know.”_ He opened his eyes again. _“Now I have you. And it’s fine, trust me.”_

Maddie leaned into her palm. “It just sucks.”

 _“It does… but all we can do is just try to roll with the punches.”_ Godzilla philosophically rumbled. That was how it worked, in his experience.

“Yeah…” Maddie looked away, “I guess. Still, I’m sorry.”

 _“Don’t be.”_ Godzilla smiled through the water. _“It’s not your fault.”_

“I just wish I could help.”

 _“Don’t worry about me, Mads.”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“I’m perfectly fine. This Christmas isn’t the first one I’ve had to spend alone.”_

“…No one should have to spend Christmas alone.”

\-----------

The next day, Christmas Eve came, and Maddie found herself wandering around blankly, without purpose, without intent… just sad. It took her a long few moments, but she briefly registered it wasn’t her feeling those things

It was Godzilla, and it was somehow rippling back to her.

That made Maddie feel even sadder. He’d been lying to her when he said he was fine. So, that night, she came up with a plan.

She grabbed a sleeping bag, a space heater, and some more layers, and walked back out to Godzilla’s lake.

“G!” She called out. The heater was plugged into an extension cord, running from the building.

Godzilla surfaced, looking confused. _“Mads? What’re you doing out here. It’s Christmas, you should be asleep in your bed.”_

“Remember what I told you yesterday?” Maddie inquired in response. “Now, get down here.” She ordered.

_“Huh?”_

“I’m _not_ trying to stretch this,” She jiggled the cord. “Out over the water.”

Godzilla huffed, putting his head down on the ground next to the lake. _“What are you doing?”_

“Told you, no one should spend Christmas alone.” Maddie explained, climbing up onto his snout with the sleeping bag and the heater. “Specially not someone who’s done so much for the rest of us.”

_“Is your dad cool with this?”_

“Don’t know,” Maddie replied, setting the heater on full before slipping into her sleeping bag, angling the heater to be pointed at her. “Don’t care.”

Godzilla, after a moment of silence, made a sound that sounded like sniffling. _“Thank you.”_

“You’re welcome.” Maddie yawned, rolling over to lay against his warm scales. He was always warm, even being submerged in the cold water. “Goodnight, G. And Merry Christmas.”

Godzilla closed his eyes, rumbling gently. _“Merry Christmas, Maddie.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	12. Mirror Mirror, Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to our normal programming. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and if you celebrate something else, I hope it was just as amazing.

Godzilla, well, young Godzilla (he was going to have to find something to distinguish the old lizard from himself, if he was telling the truth about people calling him Godzilla that is), followed in the wake of his older counterpart.

He’d never swam as deep as this guy was taking him. He’d swam out pretty far, sure, but he mostly stuck close to the surface.

“I’m not sure about this…” Godzilla muttered, following the Elder as he came up on a massive _hole_ in the seabed. It looked like a cave entrance. Didn’t he say this guy was near a volcano? Did he mean an undersea one?

“Relax.” The Older Godzilla rumbled. “The Tunnels are safe.”

Godzilla blinked. “Tunnels?”

“They were built a long time ago.” The Older Godzilla explained, taking the lead as he led the younger into the cave entrance. “They’re ancient, even compared to me.”

Godzilla turned his head. “Compared to you? How old are you?”

“Old enough to no longer care.” The Elder replied, swimming only a few feet ahead. “Age does not affect our kind. After a certain point, we no longer care.”

“Age… doesn’t affect you?” Godzilla repeated, shaking his head. “Sorry, but that doesn’t sound right. I was taught that everything on Earth ages and dies. Well, except for lobsters, but they get so big they can’t molt their shells anymore and die.”

“Hmph.” The Elder snorted. “And who taught you that?”

“My mother.” Godzilla answered with conviction. “Everything I’ve ever read.”

“Mother?” The Older turned to look but kept swimming ahead. “You don’t know your own kind, yet you had a caretaker?”

“Well, I wasn’t _born_ like this.” Godzilla huffed. He glanced away, but still kept pace. “I used to be human.”

“Human?” The Elder stopped in his tracks, turning. “One of the Tiny Ones?”

Godzilla snorted. “I’m not sure they’d like being called that, but yeah. A human.”

The Elder looked him up and down. “…Yet, you are one of our kind now.” He didn’t sound suspicious, or skeptical. His tone evidently implied he’d seen stranger things happen, but his words did carry a slight inquiry with them. How did it happen?

Godzilla sighed. “I was… God, I must’ve been only twelve when it happened. There was this… monster, my friends and I called it the Demogorgon.”

“It sounds like a fearsome creature.” The Elder guessed, based entirely off the name alone.

“Yeah, it was.” Godzilla nodded. “It… was only a little bit taller than an adult human, but it was _tough,_ and it could drag people to the other world where it came from. My friends call it the Upside Down. …The Demogorgon, it got me. I was stuck on the other side for a _week_ , drinking tainted water, breathing diseased air, soaking up background radiation higher than a nuclear reactor… And it changed me.”

“Into one of our kind…” The Older Godzilla swam around the younger one, before moving on ahead, the younger Godzilla moving to follow. “Interesting… I’ve never heard tell of such a thing occur. It explains why you don’t know anything.”

“Hey, I know plenty of things.” Godzilla defended.

“Then enlighten me.” The Older Godzilla ordered.

“Well, I can fire a beam of radiation from my mouth.” Godzilla explained. “And radiation heals me…” He trailed off.

“Hmph.” The Older Godzilla shook his head. “As I expected… You’ve not even scratched the surface of what our kind is capable of.”

“Really?” Godzilla stopped, genuinely intrigued. Even if the old guy was lying about the Godzilla thing, it piqued his curiosity to know that there was stuff he didn’t even know he could do. “There’s more things I can do?”

“…Stick with me, young one.” The Older Godzilla replied, still swimming as the younger one catch up. “I can teach you all there is to know.”

Godzilla couldn’t lie, it would be nice to have someone knowledgeable about it. God knows how long it was since he took the plunge into Lake Jordan, but he still had no idea what he was truly capable of. He’d gotten some surprises, the beams fired from his body that he’d turned against Ghidorah in their fight, and the spiral beam power up that the Mind Flayer was responsible during the fight against Red, but those came from outside sources. He wanted to know what he was capable of on his own.

“Maybe…” Godzilla considered. “I need to figure out what the hell’s going on first.” This was all terribly confusing. If this guy the old lizard was taking him to was legit, what did that mean? _He_ was Godzilla, but obviously the bigger one didn’t have any memory of being him, otherwise he’d know about the Upside Down and everything else.

All of this was starting to hurt his brain.

And all he could focus on was Maddie, not recognizing him.

\--------------

“You _talked_ to him?” Rick repeated incredulously, as Maddie sat across from him in the mess hall.

“I know!” Maddie replied. “I can’t believe it either! He just swam right up and looked at me! Didn’t make any sudden moves or anything!”

“We were wondering what he was doing here…” Ilene muttered. “What did you talk about?” She inquired.

“Well,” Maddie began, shoving a chip into her mouth, “It was really one-sided, but you guys could probably guess that. The first thing I said was asking if it was him. Godzilla Filius…”

Rick snorted, crossing his arms. “I hate that name. I still say we should use Minilla.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. _“Anyway,_ he seemed… confused by what I was saying.”

“Confused?” Ilene looked intrigued. “You mean… he could understand you?”

“I don’t know for sure, but…” Maddie nodded. “Yeah. It seemed that way. And he was…” She frowned. “Sad… So sad. I don’t know why.”

“Hm…” Ilene leaned on her hand. “Quite a puzzle we have here. I wonder where this… Filius came from.”

“You kiddin’ me?” Rick snorted. “Serizawa would’ve had his family tree mapped out by now.”

The other two snorted, laughing quietly, mournfully.

Still, Maddie hadn’t been telling the others everything. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up about Filius… He had a different quality compared to the other titans. She just couldn’t explain what.

“You guys still have no clue?” Maddie inquired.

Rick shook his head. “Nah. My working theory is that Godzilla was pregnant and we had no idea.”

Maddie snorted. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Rick responded, going for another bite of his food. He stopped, as an alert began to sound. “Oh, Goddammit.”

The table became a flurry of activity as the three scrambled into action. That alert was usually one that meant two titans had encountered each other, and the situation had to be monitored before it could escalate.

With that, the three sprinted to the command center.

\-------------

Rodan sat, nested in the top of his volcano in the place the humans called ‘Fiji,’ lounging in the sun. Many months had passed since the battle in that city, and since then, he’d learned to stay out of trouble, and more importantly, out of Godzilla’s way.

Even with Mothra able to lay an egg and come back from death, the King wasn’t happy about the hand Rodan unwittingly had played in her death.

He _said_ he was sorry. Helped the King keep the other titans in line as penance too.

Oh well, if the big lug wanted to be salty about it, that was fine by Rodan. If he didn’t want Rodan around, that was just more time for the firebird to get some relaxation. That was why he chose the volcano, honestly. To him, it was nothing more than a hot spring with thick water.

Yep, Rodan was living the dream. No infighting to shatter his peace, the sun bearing down on him on almost all hours of the day, humans to come and gawk at him. Really, he couldn’t say he wanted much more out of life than that. The only reason he’d helped Ghidorah fight at all was that the alien had an odd way of messing with minds, had Rodan been in his sane mind, he probably would’ve just found a nice volcano to nest in and wait for the entire thing to blow over.

Distantly, Rodan heard the sounds of human crowds getting excited, and turned to preen himself for their little picture making things, but he stopped, as he noticed that he wasn’t the subject of the humans’ attention. He looked, and let out a most frustrated grunt, flopping down as he realized it was just his King, coming to steal his thunder yet again. However, the waves next to him parted still, and something moved.

Rodan swallowed. “Great stars above, _two_ of him… I must leave this planet!” He went to flap his wings, intending to take off.

“RODAN!” His King bellowed from below, no doubt confusing the tiny creatures that couldn’t understand them. “GET DOWN HERE!”

“Y-Yes!” Rodan squawked, immediately changing course to land on one of the smaller islands, without any humans on it. A quick way to agitate the King would be to accidentally crush a human underfoot, something Rodan didn’t want to do anyway. He _liked_ the humans, they worshipped him. “My King!” Rodan bowed. “You’ve returned at last! How goes the day?”

The tinier one looked to the one he followed. “What the fuck is with this guy?”

“He’s a lecherous, conniving moron.” The King grumbled. “But he has his uses.”

“Oh, we have a word for guys like him in the human language!” The smaller one replied. “Starscream!”

“Star… scream…” Rodan repeated. “I rather like that name… I must admit, my King, I did not expect for you to find another like yourself.”

The King growled, narrowing his eyes.

“N-Not that I am unhappy!” Rodan amended quickly. “No, this a most joyous development! We shall have a celebration at once!”

“You remember what happened the last time you planned a ‘celebration?’” The King rumbled in response.

“N-No?”

“Exactly.” The King replied.

“I still do not know what the scars are from…” Rodan muttered.

The King sighed. “You can stop groveling now, Rodan.”

The firebird let out a sigh, relaxing slightly. “Oh, good. You know I hate the pomp and circumstance. I swear, you demand it just to make me uncomfortable.”

“You’re not wrong.” The King glanced to the figure at his side. “Rodan, this is…”

“Godzilla.” The youngling answered.

“Ah, yes, the human custom of naming your offspring after yourself.” Rodan shook his head. “What… creatively sterile creatures.”

“Um, well, first of all fuck you,” The young whelp replied. “Second, I named myself thank you very much.”

“Hmm… And you chose that?” Rodan scrutinized him. “You are either egotistical or lacking in the brains department.”

“Wow, again, fuck you.”

Rodan made a grumbling chitter, looking to the King. “My King, not that I am unhappy for the visit, but why did you bring this… youngling to me?”

“It wasn’t to show him off, if that’s what you’re implying.” The King rumbled back. “The whelp doesn’t believe me, so he told me to bring him to you instead.”

“I see…” Rodan muttered. “Believe you about what, my liege?”

“That _I’m_ the one the humans call Godzilla.” The King explained.

“Yes, that is the truth, although, I do not see why it should be in dispute…” Rodan mumbled, looking between the two.

“Because in _my_ experience, they started calling _me_ Godzilla after I surfaced from my lake to smash up a mall.” The youngling explained.

 _That_ caught the King’s attention, and he glanced over. “You smashed one of their structures?”

“It… wasn’t intentional.” The youngling sheepishly admitted. “I was fighting another monster--this wasn’t Ghidorah, by the way--and the building got in the way.”

“Well,” Rodan grumbled, “If I didn’t believe he was your offspring before, I do now.”

“Hey,” The King rumbled, glaring at Rodan.

“I mean, the wanton destruction of the humans’ homes during our battles-“

“Quiet.” The King growled.

“Yes, of course, just making a point.” Rodan bowed immediately.

“So…” The youngling looked to the King. “You were telling the truth… I don’t understand, how can there be two of us? You obviously don’t have any memories of being me, and I don’t know half the stuff you do.”

“My King,” Rodan leaned in, chittering quietly, “Have you considered the possibility that _he_ is the one lying?”

“Yes.” The King rumbled.

“And?”

“He isn’t.” The King replied, speaking just as clearly as he had been as he looked to the youngling. “That pain he felt when talking to his friend was too real.”

“Well, glad to see my emotional turmoil is good for something other than entertainment.” The youngling grumbled. “But… It still doesn’t make any sense to me. None of it. Maddie forgetting me, you forgetting Maddie, that battle in a city you said happened but never did. Unless…” He closed his eyes, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. “Oh, goddammit El.”

“I’m…” Rodan held up a wing. “Afraid I don’t follow.”

“Okay, you remember how I said I got stuck in the Upside Down?” The youngling ignored Rodan, looking to the King.

The Elder nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, the Demogorgon only was able to come through to _our_ world because someone on our side made contact with it first and opened a portal.” He explained. “A human, we call her El. She also helped get me back home, but that isn’t what’s important right now.”

“Then… what is?” Rodan tilted his head, practically demanding answers. “This entire conversation is not making any sense.”

“My point is, El can make these portals to other worlds, what if she made one and sent me here?” The youngling suggested.

“If you say it is possible…” The King considered. “But why? What purpose would it serve?”

“Probably none.” The youngling admitted. “But when the portal to the Demogorgon’s world opened, it was on accident. She was only trying to talk to it, not… smash through the universe. Maybe something like that happened this time, another accident. God _damnit!_ Just when I thought all the weird dimension-hopping stuff was done for, this happens! Fucking merry-go-round psychic bullshit!”

“This girl does not know her capabilities?” The King criticizingly inquired.

“Normally she does, but it was a long few months and a lot of shit happened.” The youngling replied. “She’d lost her powers, _died,_ miraculously came back, and not only were her powers back, they were strong enough to knock Ghidorah on its ass in time for me to show up and save the day. Point is, she was still trying to relearn her new limits. She probably didn’t even realize she’d sent me anywhere until my Maddie noticed I was gone.”

“… _your_ Maddie?” Rodan silently repeated, leaning to the King’s ear. “Is he talking about his mate?”

“No!” The youngling squeaked. “I meant ‘my’ Maddie as in the Maddie I know from my world, not this one, if I’m right, which I probably am! She’s not my mate.”

“Oh, _I_ see.” Rodan mockingly laughed, but there was good humor behind it, as he turned to the King. “That’s exactly what you used to say about Mothra! Are you _sure_ he isn’t yours?”

“Rodan.” The King grumbled. “Silence. Now.”

“He is!” Rodan cackled uncontrollably. “Oh, he is! I _knew_ you and she had a thing going on!”

\------------

“What are they doing?” Maddie asked, entering the command center with Rick and Ilene, the man going to his station, as Ilene moved to stand in front of the screen.

“Talking.” Mark answered, back wide awake since the two Godzillas had gone onto land. “They’re just… standing around and talking.”

“…Talking.” Maddie repeated, curious. In all Monarch’s studies of the titans, they’d seen the enormous creatures make intimidation or mating displays, but something like actual communication was almost nonexistent.

Maddie looked at the screen, as Rodan cackled madly.

“Huh.” Rick commented. “Looks like they’re having a good time.” He looked at the others. “What kind of comedian do you think the Big G is? A Carlin or a Mulaney?”

Maddie chuckled at that. Godzilla did seem like the type of being to have Carlin’s grumpy, cynical outlook on things, but still somehow able to find a way to make it funny. Of course, that did beg the question.

Just what were he, Rodan, and Filius talking about?

“Hm…” Maddie tilted her head, as Filius madly gesticulated. “He’s acting… different.”

Mark glanced at her, fighting sarcasm. “We don’t exactly have a baseline for how he’s _supposed_ to act.”

“We do though.” Maddie gestured to Godzilla. “Look at him, then look at Filius. They’re different.”

“…Um, kid,” Rick spoke up after a moment, “Hate to break it to you, but one’s _literally_ younger than the other.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “ _No,_ look at the way they’re acting.” She gestured. “Look at the way Godzilla carries himself, and the way Filius does.”

The parties in the room all looked, blinking, before one of them breathed in.

“His behavior’s…” Mark began. “Less animalistic.” He turned to Ilene. “Is that possible?”

“We know the titans have intelligence, even if it is different to us.” The woman began. “But they still retain traits of animalistic behavior. Filius’s is more… human, for want of a better term.”

“And I’m guessing that isn’t normal?” Mark replied.

“No,” Rick replied, dripping sarcasm. “All the titans are perfectly average joes, drinking beers, watching the game, et cetera.”

“Go to hell, Rick.” Mark shot back, with zero venom in his voice.

“But that begs the question…” Ilene began, crossing her arms. “Why is he behaving this way compared to the other titans?”

“…Good question.” Maddie tilted her head, examining the screen.

\-----------

“So, you believe yourself to be from…” The King rumbled skeptically. “ _Another_ Earth?”

“It’s…” The youngling weakly shrugged. “The only thing that makes any sense. Unless you can come up with an explanation for everything.”

“Easy,” Rodan pointed, “You’re lying.”

The King smacked Rodan down. Not enough to actually hurt him, just put him in his place. “We know already other worlds beyond this one exist… the Usurper was proof enough of that.” The King looked up. “Should the cosmos be truly infinite… It is not merely possible, but likely, that some of those worlds mirror our own.” He looked down, to the youngling. “Even in those that inhabit them.”

“Yes… possibly.” Rodan granted. “But that begs the question, if he is here now,” Rodan chittered, “Then how is he to return to his home?”

“If El was the one responsible for sending me here, she can find a way to pull me back.” The youngling responded. “Besides, even if she wasn’t the one, she and my Mad- Well, Maddie- should be able to find me anyway.”

“I see…” The Elder rumbled. “And what will you do when you return?”

“Probably go back to being the biggest dude on the planet.”

“Ha!” The King laughed deeply. “I like your attitude, but so far all I’ve seen you do is whine like a pup fresh off the teat.”

“Hey, I’ve already told you,” The younger one replied. “I’ve killed Ghidorah, I’ve even killed a demon from another dimension, I _earned_ this attitude.”

“Maybe,” The King granted, rumbling, “But what about the next threat that comes to your territory? Or the next? Or the next? Once you earn the title of King, you can’t get lazy. You’ll have to defend it with everything you can muster.”

The younger one frowned. “What are you trying to say? That I can’t handle myself?”

“No,” The King answered. “But if you get complacent, it’s only going to breed disaster.”

“I know, I know,” The young one rolled his eyes, “But I can deal with it in my own time. All I have to do is wait for El to pull me back.”

“Or,” The King suggested, “You could fill that time being _productive._ ”

The young one scowled. “Productive how?”

“Allow me to teach you.” The King rumbled. “You have many abilities, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“…Really?” The young one tilted his head, intrigued. “What kind of abilities?”

“Stick with me, pup, and I’ll show you everything there is to know.”

“Great,” Rodan intruded, chittering frustratedly, “Now that all this is done, could the two of you go so I can get some beauty rest!?”

The King smacked Rodan around harmlessly again, before huffing, turning to leave, motioning for the young one to follow.

“Uh, bye, Radar.” The young one offered, slinking back into the water with his older counterpart. “It was interesting meeting you. When I get back home, I’ll see if there’s another version of you roaming around there too.”

“Well, let’s hope you’ll treat him better than this one treats me.” Rodan grumbled, watching the two vanish.

At least his day wasn’t _totally_ ruined.

Still, Rodan felt the need to prepare himself. Two Godzillas…

The resultant destruction would be biblical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	13. Mirror Mirror, Part Four

“I don’t understand,” The younger one muttered to the King as they swam along, “We’re just swimming. Why?”

Shortly after finishing up with Rodan, the two began swimming seemingly aimlessly in the ocean. Well, the younger one was aimless, the older one seemed to know exactly where he was going.

“A King’s duty is to know his territory.” The Elder explained. “So that he remembers what he fights to protect. It is not for honor, or justice, or rage, but to protect his territory, and all who reside within.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” The younger one granted. Still, he wasn’t sure about all this king business. The old guy took it way too seriously. “But I thought you were going to teach me how to fight.”

“In time… pup.” The King snorted. “Look around you.” He instructed, gesturing to the ocean around as they swam. “At the tiny creatures swimming in the water, the bigger creatures that prey upon them, at the invisible ones that live in the water that gives it its cloudy thickness. All of these things are part of nature.”

“The circle of life, yeah, I know.” The younger one grumbled. “The really tiny fish eat the plankton, the tiny fish get eaten by the bigger fish, the big fish die and get fed on by the plankton, I know all this already. They teach it in human schools.”

“Hm… there may be some hope for the tiny ones yet.” The King rumbled. “But, if you know all this to be true, then know this as well: They are all your subjects. It is your burden to look upon all the creatures in your territory, even the ones residing above, and protect them… and if necessary, punish them when they threaten the balance.”

“Threaten the balance?” The younger one replied. “You mean when they get out of line.”

“If necessary, yes.”

The younger one snorted. “Sorry, but being a dictator is not my style. People are free to think what they will of me, even if it’s not flattering.”

“You misunderstand.” The Elder shook his head. “You must not care for differences of opinion… but when your subjects threaten the delicate balance of this ecosystem, it falls on you to put things back in place.” He looked ahead. “Even the smallest part becoming unbalanced can spell disaster. Like a tumorous growth, the problem must be found and destroyed before it may harm those beyond it.”

“You sound like you have some experience on that front.” The younger one commented.

“…There was a race of parasites,” The Elder began, “Beings like you and I, that consumed and spread without regard for the damage. They killed the others of our race, and then set about destroying the others.”

“You mean,” The young one tilted his head, “That’s why there are some other titans roaming around, but not whole species worth? That’s why there’s not like a second Rodan, or something?”

“Yes.” The Elder confirmed.

“So what happened?” The young one inquired.

“I reduced the parasites to only four.” The King explained. “But before I could end them for good, we all fell into the long sleep. The only ones left awake were those who called Skull Island their home.”

“The long sleep?” The young one repeated.

“It was a deep hibernation.” The King regaled, leading the young one into one of the tunnels. Bioluminescent coral reefs grew over the inside of the tunnel, and the younger of the two breathed in awe. Had humans known of this place, it would likely be under threat of tourism, but it was so beautiful. He’d never seen anything like it back in his human life.

“Eons passed, the shape of the itself shifting and changing around us. When we awoke, nothing was the same.” The King continued.

“…You’re talking about continental drift.” The young one recognized. “Jesus, how old _are_ you?”

“Old enough.” The Older of the two rumbled. “I was the first to awaken. A human craft bearing a source of Fire stumbled across my resting place. Many years after that, I sensed two of the parasites awaken, and enter their mating cycle. Had they been allowed to reproduce, with nothing to keep them in check, their children would have overtaken everything in by the end of winter.”

“God damn…” The Younger muttered. “And what about the other two?”

“One of them was the progenitor of all of them.” The Elder regaled. “I had to defeat her first, or the parasites would return. The last is now the last of her kind.”

“And… that doesn’t concern you?”

“No. She bowed to me like all the rest.” The Elder rumbled. “Should she keep herself from harming others, I care not what she does.”

“Oh, good, at least you know to stop after beating someone into submission.” The Younger muttered.

“A good King is tough, but lenient when he needs to be.” The Elder replied. “Now…” He rumbled, as they started to come up on a rock wall. “I believe this is the land humans call… Austria.”

The Younger one snorted. “Australia, more likely. Austria’s land-locked.”

“Hm… I see.” The Elder blinked.

“How do you know what humans call it?” The Younger inquired curiously.

“I may not speak back, but I listen to what they have to say, as I do with all my subjects.” The Older one answered. “Now, come, we still have much to survey.”

The Younger of the two sighed but kept pace.

\------------

“Aw…” Maddie cooed, smiling as she looked at the sight one of the underwater drones along Godzilla’s patrol routes recorded. “He’s like a dad showing his kid around the new house. Cute.”

Mark looked at her incredulously. “In what world does ‘Godzilla’ and ‘cute’ go in the same sentence?”

“I don’t know.” Maddie admitted. “I’m not an expert.”

Mark rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, turning to look at Rick. “What are they doing?”

“Well, it’s like the kid said.” Rick replied, eyes locked on the data readouts on his screen. “The Big Guy’s not doing much more than patrolling. What we’re looking at, my guy, is a titan’s own ‘Bring Your Kid to Work’ day.”

“Oh!” Sam looked up from his console. “I loved those when I was a kid. My dad’s office used to put out these trays of cupcakes-“

“Sam,” Ilene gently cut him off, “Is now really the time?”

The tall, gangly man shrunk down a little. “Uh, no… I guess not.” He looked down to his console, frowning, as it beeped at him.

“Well,” Mark turned back to the live feed, “It’s been a couple of days, and they haven’t gone around busting up the place… I guess they’re okay.”

“Uh, guys?” Sam held his hand up.

“Well, of course they’re okay,” Maddie replied, “Think about it. Do _you_ go around smashing anthills for no good reason?”

“Guys.” Sam repeated.

The others finally turned to look back at him. “What?” Rick questioned.

“I’m getting some pretty weird readings over here.” Sam stated, looking to his terminal. “Doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well have you tried turning it off and on again?” Rick retorted.

“I worked IT, I know how to fix a broken computer,” Sam shot back, as the others came over to look. “Look at all of it. EM wave readings are going bananas, temperature’s fluctuating, air pressure’s going down.”

“Wait,” Mark stopped him, “That’s near those two?” He jerked a thumb to the screen.

“No,” Sam replied, “It’s coming from _in here_.”

Ilene looked over his shoulder. “Can you find the source?”

“I’ll do you one better,” Sam began typing into the keyboard, moving to access the cameras. “I’ll get you a feed of it.”

“…Empty quarters?” Maddie frowned.

“I told you, dude!” Rick called from the other side of the room. “This is what happens when you upgrade to the latest version without making sure everything works first! Bugs in the system!”

“No, but…” Sam frowned. “I could’ve sworn-“

The picture suddenly flickered, static masking the feed, as the camera flickered and distorted.

When the image finally returned, those looking at it gasped in shock.

“…Sam?” Maddie spoke up first. “Is it pulling old video from somewhere?”

“No…” Sam confusedly breathed. “And even if it was… I don’t think that explains the other one.”

Lying on the floor of the uninhabited room were two girls, one slightly older than the other, and both looking exactly like Maddie.

Mark was the first to find his words. “What in the hell is going on?”

\----------

The Elder stood across from his young counterpart, stood at the ready. Upon returning to the island, they finally got to the part the Younger was most excited for.

New moves to learn.

“So…” The Older one squared his shoulders, standing tall and proud. It was a pride he’d earned, with everything he’d seen and done.

The Young one worked a kink out of his neck. “So.” He stood with bravado and assuredness.

“You’re _sure_ this is what you want?” The Elder asked gravely.

The Young one grinned, and in a show of confidence, took the stance of a boxer. “Bring it on, old man.”

The Elder let out a low, rumbling chuckle. “You’re going to regret that… _pup._ ”

With that one, taunting word, the sparring battle had begun full swing.

The Elder immediately charged, shaking the ground and crushing trees as his enormous feet hit the soil. The Younger laughed to himself, as he felt the power rumble in his body, dorsal plates lighting up blue as the electric sensations swelled to critical levels.

With a roar, the Younger let loose, sending out a plume of blue fire in the direction in the Older. Impact straight to the Elder’s chest was assured…

And yet, in a show of swiftness and grace that shouldn’t have been possible, the Elder dodged the beam, closing the distance between himself and his young apprentice.

As the Younger tried to charge the beam again, the Elder rammed into him, knocking him down.

Like a dust storm blowing through the desert, sand was kicked up as the Younger one fell.

“Ow…” The Young one grumbled, as he tried to get his breath back. “That smarts…”

“Told you I wouldn’t go easy on you.” The Elder rumbled, helping him back up, “Rule one of any battle. Hope for success, but plan for failure. You never considered the idea that I might dodge your blast, and I used that to my advantage. Your enemies will do the same.”

The Young one grunted, steading himself, and shaking off his disorientation. “Right.”

“One other thing;” The Elder began, walking back to the starting distance. “The Fire within you is a powerful thing, but it is not limitless. Use it too much, and you will soon find it running out, and yourself without a weapon.”

“You mean my atomic breath.” The Younger recognized. “I wondered if there was a limit to how much I could use it.”

“There is.” The Elder replied. “That is why you must not rely on it. It is a tool, not a… crutch, as I believe the humans say.”

“Wait, you’re saying I shouldn’t use my most powerful attack as often?” The Younger one repeated in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense! I could use it to take them out of the fight right at the beginning!”

“Perhaps,” The Elder conceded that much, “But what happens after one of your foes prove too strong for it? You will be forced to fight without it and weakened because of it. That is why, while you can _use_ the Fire within you, you must not depend solely upon it. Your body is a powerful weapon in its own right. Use it.”

“You’re talking hand-to-hand…” The Young one recognized. “I’ve gotta admit, I’m not experienced in that sort of thing.”

“That is why I am teaching you now.” The Older one replied. “Now… shall we go again?”

\---------

“Woah…” Maddie muttered, looking at the two girls identical to her in the room. Shortly after their mysterious appearance, they’d been taken to the medical bay, and put on the beds.

And sectioned off from the others, with guards standing. They’d tried to point out that the intruders were two, _unarmed_ teenage girls, but Foster was insistent about the security precautions. Military types, you know?

“Freaky.” Rick commented, looking in as well.

“Why do they look like me?” Maddie wondered.

“Who knows.” The man shrugged. “Coincidence probably.”

“…It’s too weird to be coincidence.” Mark replied. “How-“

The girl on the left, the older one, suddenly snapped up, wide awake.

“God, Jesus!” Rick stepped back from the window, as the girl looked around in confusion.

She looked to her double by her side, then to the observation window, tilting her head curiously, as she glanced back and forth between Maddie and the other double. “Maddie?”

The girl’s blood ran cold.

\-----------

The hours passed rather quickly, with the two Godzillas sparring against one another. Over the course of the fight, the Elder pulled out many moves that the Younger just didn’t have names for, and during it all, more often than not, the Younger was the one to get knocked on the floor.

The Young one, however, was able to get a few good hits in. His way of fighting however was mostly focused at staying at range and unloading into targets with his atomic breath.

Like the Elder had said, it wasn’t a good strategy to rely upon. The moment anybody got within melee range, the Younger was forced to improvise in a way that often left him as the one defeated.

In retrospect, it was obvious. The only reason he was able to stand up to Ghidorah at such close range was because he’d been regenerating the whole time because of the bomb, the reserves just happened to last long enough for him to immobilize the other monster before taking it down. And the less said about the battle with Red, the better.

So far, the only reason he’d really won in the actual brawls was because of luck, and other beings sacrificing themselves to give him a boost.

Thus, the Elder was focusing on teaching him more close-quarters melee styles of combat. There was everything from punches, to kicks, to using his body’s entire mass as a weapon. It was, quite frankly, grueling training. But necessary, if the Young one hoped to stand a chance against any enemies in the future without relying upon luck.

Over the course of the sparring sessions, the Young one discovered things that he didn’t even know he could do. Chief among them was what he dubbed the nuclear pulse.

As the Elder had explained, the charge of atomic power didn’t have to be focused out through the mouth. It could also be fired out of the dorsal plates on his back in a great, concussive shockwave. The Younger had done something similar in the battle against Red, but he couldn’t figure out how to replicate it after.

Another interesting thing the Elder had mentioned was that the nuclear pulse could become more… powerful, via something. His wording was vague, elusive, like he didn’t want to volunteer the information at all but had to in order to round everything out. According to him, this… scorching-mode was only to be a last resort, as not only would it be devastatingly uncontrollable, it would end in his own body destroying itself unless there was something else keeping it in check.

The Younger didn’t know what all of it was about, but if it sounded as grave as the Older one made it… he supposed he had to listen.

That was what these training sessions consisted of. Fighting and talking and talking _while_ fighting. About what it meant to be king. In all honesty, the Younger of the two was just concerned with learning how to fight decently, not… being the head honcho of monsters. But, if more were going to appear, and if he wanted to make sure that people were safe…

It was a lesson he had to learn.

Yet, in the middle of the thirtieth round, the Younger of the two stopped, freezing in place. The Elder, who had been going to take him down yet again, sensed it wasn’t a tactic as part of the fight.

“What is it, pup?” The Elder rumbled.

The Younger suddenly turned. “I don’t know…” He closed his eyes, standing still for a few moments, before they snapped back open. “She’s here!” He excitedly stated. “I don’t know how, but she’s here!”

The Elder tilted his head, as the Young one moved back to the water. “Who is?”

“Maddie!” The Younger of the two shot back. “My Maddie!” He dove into the water.

“Hm.” The Elder let out a chuckling rumble. “Now, I’ve gotta see this.” He decided, moving to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	14. Mirror Mirror, Part Five

“Wow…” Mads, the one who had arrived with El, looked around the inside of Castle Bravo in awe. “This place is awesome!” The Castle Bravo she was used to was just a converted oil rig with some new rooms added, but this looked like a purpose-built complex, and a much larger one too. “Look at all this stuff!” She gushed, pointing at the highly advanced tech about the place. “It’s like it’s all out of Star Wars!”

Madison, the one native to this Castle Bravo, nodded. “Yep, pretty cool.”

Shortly after El had awoken, the other double awoke as well… which only caused a whole lot more confusion. At first, they thought she was called Maddie too, but no.

She _was_ Maddie. With a Mark who was her dad, an Emma who was her mom, and who stayed in a base called Castle Bravo as well. The first thing to be done was to settle on how to distinguish them. One Maddie, the one who arrived with El, would be called Mads, and the other would be Madison. With that out of the way, it was time for the explaining.

Or, as Foster would’ve surely termed it, the interrogation. In fairness, to the military woman, there were two people that showed up in the base out of nowhere completely undetected, and with no security clearance.

But, El and Mads had been accommodating, for they were here with a purpose. And they needed their help to make it happen.

For they came from a world with a Godzilla of its own. Mads’s closest friend, much to the surprise of Madison and Mark. Madison had a respect for the Godzilla she was familiar with, but _friendship_? That was a bit of a stretch, even discounting the fact that he was millions upon millions of years old.

Then, as Mads explained, it wasn’t _that_ weird. Her Godzilla was only about two years older than her, at the most.

“Ha!” Rick laughed triumphantly at that from the peanut gallery. “What did I tell you!? Minilla!”

Foster let out a sigh, glaring at him. “Doctor Stanton, please.”

“Right, sorry.” Rick apologized, still smiling self-satisfactorily as he drunk from his coffee mug with the ‘NOT YOURS’ label on it.

Foster shook her head, turning to the two mysterious girls with crossed arms. “Continue.”

El went on to explain that she’d been experimenting with her powers, trying to find a way to see Godzilla, something that she hadn’t been able to do for the longest time. When she made headway, however, she fell unconscious, and when she woke up, the base was in a panic, Godzilla was _gone_ , and Mads was freaking out because the presence she had in the back of her head was suddenly gone as well, empty.

From that point, it became an issue of trying to find Godzilla again. El had succeeded but was unable to pull him back. So, instead, she and Mads chose to follow (Mads because she could understand Godzilla), and recreate the circumstances that led to him being cast out to another world in the first place, following Godzilla back home.

Admittedly, it was a hairbrained plan… but the only one they had.

“A-And,” Mark held up a finger, “Your guys’s dad just… let you do this?”

Mads shrugged. “He learned a long time ago he couldn’t stop me when it came to Godzilla.”

El held up her hands as well. “And he’s not my dad.”

Mark tilted his head curiously. “He’s not? I thought you two were sisters.”

El and Mads looked at each other. “We… get that a lot. We just look similar.”

“So,” Sam rubbed his face, pointing, “You guys came here as soon as your Godzilla vanished, but… He’s been here a _week_.”

“We didn’t come right away.” El explained. “We waited for two days.”

Ilene frowned. “That still leaves five days.”

“Well,” Mads shifted on her feet, playing with her hands, “We’ve kind of been bouncing around all over the place trying to find the right one.”

\----------

“AUGH, RUN!” A man in the crowd hysterically screamed as the enormous, dinosaur-like creature tore through the MetLife building. “IT’S GODZILLA!”

“It looks like Godzilla!” Maddie replied, as El tried to hold the abomination back. “But it’s not got atomic breath, it’s weak to actual weapons, and it’s a mutated iguana! It’s not fit to _call_ itself Godzilla!” She cupped her hands. “HEY! YOU HEAR THAT, YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD? I KNOW A GUY WHO CAN KICK YOUR ASS SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY!”

\-----------

“What the fuck is that…?” Maddie muttered, looking out at the dark, twisted Godzilla that looked emaciated, skinned, and generally speaking just abominable. “Is that a Godzilla?”

“It looks like it.” El concurred, as the beast let out a blast of atomic breath from the tip of its tail.

“It _looks_ dead, the fucking thing.” Maddie replied, shivering unpleasantly. “Eugh…” The Godzilla’s mouth opened, bottom jaw splitting open as it let out a blast of atomic breath that could best be described as screaming in agony. “Can we go now?”

\----------

Maddie and El watched, far to the sidelines, safe, as another Godzilla marched intently through the wires of two high-tension towers, pulling them down and shrugging off the sparks like they were nothing.

“Damn.” Maddie whistled. “That guy’s got some _serious_ problems.”

\---------

“El can use objects to find people, so we tried to find Godzilla by using _me_ as the link.” Mads explained. “That one was probably the weirdest one.”

\----------

“So…” Maddie blinked, holding a cup of tea. “You _don’t_ have any giant monsters here?”

“I can’t say we do, no.” The girl rather like themselves in appearance replied, taking a sip of her own beverage.

“No creatures from other worlds trying to end all life as we know it?” El asked with a raised eyebrow.

The girl laughed. “Goodness, no!”

The two looked at each other, nodding. “Good… We could use a pit stop.” Maddie commented.

The girl detective tilted her head.

“It’s, uh… I’ll explain later.” Maddie replied. “I do have one question… Sherlock Holmes is your brother?”

“Indubitably.”

“…wanna hear a joke?” Maddie asked then.

The girl curiously tilted her head. “Very well.”

“Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and go to sleep.” Maddie began. “Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. ‘Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.’ Watson replied, ‘I see millions of stars.’ ‘What does that tell you?’ Watson pondered for a minute. ‘Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you, Holmes?’” Maddie struggled to hold back her own laughter. “Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke: ‘Watson, you idiot. Someone has stolen our tent!’”

The three immediately erupted into uproarious laughter, El clapping her hands.

“Oh…” The girl detective wiped laughter-induced tears away, “Oh dear. Very funny.”

“I figured you’d like it.” Maddie shrugged. “Hey… Do you think I could get your brother’s autograph?”

\------------

Mads held up the scrap of paper with the signature on it, a wide smile on her face. “Worth it!” She proclaimed. “God, he was such a handsome man…” She wistfully sighed, stashing the autograph back in her pocket.

“…I’ll trade you this for it.” Rick offered, holding up the biggest bottle of red wine any of them had ever seen.

Sam looked at the other man inquisitively. “Where’d you get that?”

“I have my ways, man.” Rick mysteriously replied, taking a swig from his coffee mug.

“So,” Foster rubbed her face, “You seriously expect us to believe you’re both versions of Madison, and you’ve been on some dimension-trotting adventure to find your Godzilla?”

“I’m not a version of Madison, she is.” El pointed to Mads, “And yes.”

“How else do you explain us teleporting in?” Mads inquired. “Unless… Do you guys have teleporters here?”

“Yeah, no.” Madison answered.

“But we do have cloning tech.” Foster crossed her arms. “How do we know you’re not spies?”

“These two?” Mark stepped in, looking to Foster reproachfully. “Come on, Diane. One has _psychic powers_ for God’s sake!”

“Does she?” Foster asked in response. “We haven’t seen her use them.”

El huffed, rolling her eyes, and focused on Madison. The girl began to levitate up, slowly.

“Whoa! Um, uh…” Madison stumbled around.

“Maddie!” Mark rushed over, looking up as his daughter floated up. “Are you alright!?”

“Um, yeah…” Madison looked down, “It’s kinda… tingly.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Foster decided, turning to El. “Let her down.”

The teenager shrugged, as Madison harmlessly floated down, stumbling as she regained her land legs.

“There’s still something I don’t get.” Madison stated. “If you guys aren’t the only ones looking after Godzilla, why did only you two come?”

El and Mads glanced at each other. “…We weren’t sure if we would survive the trip.” Mads quietly spoke up first. “We didn’t want to get the others killed, so we left without them.”

Ilene looked to the two teenagers sympathetically. “That was very brave of you two.”

“Brave,” Rick scoffed, “Or stupid. So, since we know now that Minilla-“

“Filius.” Sam insisted.

“Is yours,” Rick continued, “You’re just gonna… get him and go back home?”

“Well…” El and Mads looked at each other. “Yeah.”

“Speaking of Minilla,” Mads giggled. She loved that name; she wasn’t going to stop teasing him about it when they finally got back together. “Do you guys have some way of tracking him?”

“Oh, hell yeah.” Rick answered. “Come on, kids, you wanna come see some of our cool toys?”

\----------

“Whoa…” Mads poked the black, polished surface, blinking in awe as it responded to her. “Actual touchscreens. It’s like Star Trek…”

“You think that’s cool, check this out.” Rick replied, pulling up the bioacoustic scanners of the base. “Using these bad boys, we can track any titan, anywhere.”

“Oh,” El tilted her head. “We have something like that too. We call it the ORCA.”

Mark’s head shot up. “The ORCA?”

“Yeah,” El nodded. “It’s supposed to… trans-late what Godzilla’s body is emit-ing.”

“It’s a translator,” Mark let out what seemed to be a relieved sigh, “Thank God.”

Mads looked to Madison. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Over here the ORCA wasn’t meant as a translator,” Madison explained, “It was supposed to control the titans.”

Mads snorted. “That has bad idea written all over it. I don’t know about your Godzilla, but ours wouldn’t take too nicely to trying to be mind controlled. He had to put up with it once.”

Ilene looked to her, curious. “Really?”

Mads nodded. “Back when he was human, he got possessed by something we call the Mind Flayer. They had to burn it out of him.”

The onlookers fell silent, and the entire base was so quiet, you could hear the people blinking.

“Sorry,” Sam held up a hand, “Did you say your Godzilla used to be _human_?”

El smiled, recalling. “Will.”

“It’s a _loooong_ story.” Mads replied. “Let’s just say some freaky stuff happened and leave it there.”

“Right.” Rick agreed, pulling up what looked like visual readouts of sonic wavelengths on the screen. “There you have it, guys and gals, Minilla’s bioacoustics. No need to thank me.”

“Can you get where he is?” Mark inquired.

Rick snorted. “What kind of dumb question…” Nevertheless, he pulled up a map, showing a red blip. “Oh, hell. Looks like he’s gotten impatient. He’s bringing the party to us.”

Mads’s face lit up. “G’s on his way here! Quick, how do I get outside!?”

“Um, you might want to wait-“ Sam tried to suggest, only to be ignored, as the girl took off into the corridor.

“Don’t worry, I’ll watch her!” Madison charged off after her double.

“…I… Guess I’ll go too.” El stated, moving as well.

The adults in the room all looked at each other.

Foster sighed. “Fine. Might as well move this party up top.”

\-----------

The door to the surface level of Castle Bravo slammed against the wall as Mads charged out first, running to the edge of the platform. She didn’t know from what direction her Godzilla was approaching from, and yet, she _did_ , watching the water with bated breath, waiting for any sign of him.

Soon enough… the water rippled, dorsal spines breaking the surface, as the four-hundred-foot-tall Minilla (we’ll refer to him as that for brevity’s sake), gently grabbed onto the side of the base, bracing himself against it.

“Holy shit…” Rick breathed, looking on in awe.

“G!” Mads shouted in relief, running over to him.

Minilla smiled, leaning down, as Mads ran up to his monstrous snout, trying to hug him.

“Oh, I missed you so much, big guy!” Mads pressed into him, as Minilla tried to nuzzle her. “Yes, I know it was only a few days, but still!”

Mark leaned over to El. “What’s she doing?”

“She can talk to him.” El explained. “They have this… thing that lets her feel what he feels and lets him feel what she feels. And she can hear him talking because of it.”

“Symbiosis…” Ilene breathed, as Minilla gently picked Mads up in his hands, looking like he wished he was way, way smaller so he could hug her properly. “Doctor Serizawa was right… coexistence is possible.”

Before anyone else could open their mouths, the base rumbled again as the water’s surface broke, and something else emerged.

Godzilla, the one the base personnel were more familiar with, surfaced nearby.

Minilla turned to him, holding his hands out, presenting Mads to him.

Godzilla leaned in, and though it wasn’t strictly _his_ daughter, Mark still got a heart-attack just looking at it.

\---------

“Well, here she is,” The Younger rumbled, looking down at Mads. “My Maddie.”

Mads looked up at him, inquisitively. “ _Your_ Maddie? At least buy me dinner before you try to stake a claim on me!”

The Younger’s face became ever-so-slightly tinted pink, as the Elder let out a laugh.

“Ha!” The Elder rumbled. “So… You’re the Maddie I’ve been hearing so much about…” He looked at her inquisitively.

“What’s up, Bigger G?” Mads asked nonchalantly.

“And you can understand us…” The Elder remarked, rumbling. “Interesting… I’ve never heard of a human capable of that.”

“Really?” The Younger one raised his eyebrow.

“Our kind were worshipped as gods, we needed those to act our will upon the world. We forged Bonds with those few chosen so that they may relay our will,” The Elder rumbled. “But no Bond was ever strong to the extent of being able to actually interpret our words with clear meaning.” He glanced at Mads. “Yours is a very special gift, Little Queen.”

Mads smiled bashfully. “Well, I don’t want to brag…”

“Nah, you’ve earned it.” The Younger replied, before he frowned. “How did you guys get here?”

“I think we both know the answer to that.” Mads shot back.

The Younger looked to El on the platform and sighed. “You know, I’d just like to have _one day_ where no crazy interdimensional shenanigans happen, is that too much to ask?”

“Hey, take it up with her,” Mads directed, “Not me. So,” She turned to him, “You ready to go home?”

The Younger looked to the Elder. There was so much he still wanted to talk about. “…Not now.” He decided. “Tell El to hop up, we’re going to follow Bigger G back to his island.”

“EL!” Mads shouted down, as the Younger reached down his hand. “Climb up! We’ve got places to be!”

The Younger watched as El shot off hasty goodbyes to the personnel on the alternate Castle Bravo, and she climbed up, steadying herself on his hand.

“Hmm…” The Elder sniffed the air. “She bears the gift of one of Mothra’s Chosen… keep an eye on that one.” He advised. “Now…” He sunk back into the water, “Are you going to follow?”

“Uh, G?” Mads looked up to him. “How are you going to keep the water out?”

The Younger said nothing, laying belly-down in the water so that he resembled a mobile island, his hands still angled to keep the two girls above the water.

“Climb onto my back.” The Younger instructed. “I promise, it’ll be a short ride. You’ll like this island, trust me.”

“Whatever you say…” Mads mumbled, climbing up, El following her example, as the two Godzillas began to swim. “BYE!” She waved to the people on Castle Bravo. “It was nice meeting me!”

The personnel waved back, slightly blankly, as they receded into the distance. Before they got out of range, however, Mads could hear her other self mumble something.

“So, her and Minilla, they’ve got a thing going on?” Madison blinked. “That’s messed up.”

Sam slowly responded with: “Symbiotic relationships between two different species aren’t all that uncommon.”

Mark flinched. “Please… don’t use the word ‘relationship.’”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	15. Mirror Mirror, Part Six

Returning to the island had, in the Young Godzilla’s opinion, been the best thing to do. While El was sure she could send them back home, that had been with just her and Maddie, not carrying along a 90,000-ton lizard along for the ride.

He wanted her back to a hundred percent. And the Elder Godzilla had said the same thing.

“Rest here,” He had advised, though Maddie did have to act as a translator, “Regain your strength. There is no shame in admitting something is beyond your capabilities.”

While that stuff was all fortune cookie stuff that most of them already knew, it was nevertheless correct, and El had acquiesced. Besides, the island was a beautiful place, filled with lifeforms that she’d never seen and had no names for. Most of them were benevolent, and those that weren’t, seemed to sense her latent capabilities, and strayed far, far away from her.

It was so full of life of the plant kind, too. Exotic fruits, growing on trees high above the ground, such as odd hybrids of Pineapples and Mangos, Kumquats the size of basketballs, and Bananas that tasted like orange sherbet, all sustained the two humans during the stay, while the two Godzillas spent the last remaining time before the departure sparring.

The two humans watched with rapt attention, perched on top of a branch of a skyscraper-sized three, as the two Godzillas duked it out, rather like a dance.

It was actually quite amazing. Even though the Younger Godzilla was smaller, he seemed to be an even match for his older counterpart, neither one able to get the upper hand for long. In addition to the fighting, the Older Godzilla regaled them with tales of the many deeds he’d performed over his lifetime.

He’d battled against creatures from other worlds, monsters that the two humans could only imagine encountering, and saved the Earth from destruction more times than he could count.

If their Godzilla’s career was going to be anything like the Older Godzilla’s, he was going to do great things, indeed.

Before long, however… it was time to go.

“I wish you could come with us.” Their Godzilla stood tall, carrying the two humans in his hands, looking at the Older Godzilla with a pleading look. “There’s so much you can still teach me.”

“…I’ve found that experience is the best teacher, pup.”

Maddie frowned, looking up. “Pup?”

“I’ll explain later.” Her Godzilla replied, looking back up to his larger counterpart. “…Seriously though, thank you. You didn’t have to do any of it.”

“But I did.” The Older Godzilla rumbled. “I couldn’t leave anyone with such potential on his own.”

“Still… thanks.” The Young Godzilla repeated.

The Older one nodded, looking to Maddie. “Keep a tight leash on this one, Little Queen.”

Maddie tilted her head curiously. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

“Every strong man needs a strong woman to keep him in line, as you humans say.” The Older Godzilla humorously rumbled, a deep, earth-shaking chuckle. “Even without that… You and he have a similar bond to the one Mothra and I shared. So, keep him from doing anything stupid, understand?

Maddie snapped off a salute. “Yes sir!”

“And you…” He turned to El. “He’s told me a lot about who you are, what you’ve been through… I want you to know that no matter what happens, as one of Mothra’s Chosen… If anyone tries to come after you, you’ll always have a place here.

El smiled. “Thank you.”

“…What will you do?” The Younger Godzilla inquired, standing still. “After we go?”

“I’ll go back to what I’ve always done.” The Older Godzilla answered. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be lonely.” The Younger Godzilla recognized. “You need a friend.”

“I have the other titans.” The Older Godzilla rumbled defensively.

“Not a subject, a friend.” The Younger Godzilla corrected.

“…You know,” Maddie spoke up, “There’s another Maddie at that base.”

“I’m familiar…” The Older Godzilla slowly rumbled.

“Every Maddie needs a Godzilla.” The girl herself proclaimed. “And she screamed at Ghidorah like it was second nature. That’s gotta count for something.”

“It does…” The Older Godzilla chuckled. “I’m not sure her and I would be a good team though. I’m older than her civilization.”

“Poppycock.” Maddie called him out. “You just told me to keep a tight leash on him, and since you’re a version of him, that extends to you. Go out there and make some _friends_!”

The Older Godzilla laughed deeply. “Well, if the Little Queen desires it, I can’t think of a good reason for it not to be so.” The laugh died, and he looked at them. “Now… It is time for you to be off. Farewell, you three. And good luck, in everything you do.”

“Bye!” The three waved, before El closed her eyes.

She could feel it all around her. The turn of the universe, the spin of the Earth as it fell endlessly around the sun, the eternal march of time itself as each second ticked by like a drumbeat.

From her passengers’ perspective, a flash of blinding light occurred, before dry lad suddenly became the middle of the ocean, and Godzilla was paddling to keep above the water.

“Right, well…” Godzilla looked around. “Where’s Castle Bravo relative to here?”

“No clue,” Maddie admitted, “Best start swimmin’.”

Godzilla sighed, but obeyed, paddling forward.

\----------

By the time they got back to Castle Bravo, the base personnel were already well aware of their return, relieved, and then subsequently pissed off.

They’d been gone for a little under two weeks, and while nothing life-threatening had occurred during that time, the base personnel were fraught with worry, and unable to do anything should any giant monsters attack.

Still, once they returned, the moment had passed, and things quickly went back to normal.

Normal, except for the two teenagers on the base being grounded for the stunt they pulled. Godzilla was sure his mother would’ve tried grounding him as well, but… Well, he was a _giant monster_.

And even still, grounding hadn’t been able to slow down Maddie.

She snuck out in the middle of the night, walking to the edge of the platform, mischievous desires taking over her entire being, as she carried a backpack.

“What do you say, G?” She proposed, climbing over the railing to jump into his hand. “What do you say we find that island, huh? I know _right_ where I’m going to put the beach house.”

 _“Hmph.”_ Godzilla chuckled. _“Whatever you say… ‘Little Queen.’”_

“That’s right, I _am_ a Queen, and don’t you forget it!” Maddie ordered, climbing onto his dorsal spines as he began to swim, off in search of that same island that the Older Godzilla had been training him on.

\------------

Back in Castle Bravo, Maddie wandered aimlessly, trying to tire herself out so she could go to sleep. She took the longest, most winding path through the base she could formulate, even coming to the surface platform.

Movement caught her attention, and while she thought she might’ve been imagining it, turning to look proved otherwise.

Godzilla was _right there,_ looking upon her calmly. She didn’t know how he got close without setting off the proximity alarms, but she supposed she should be glad. It’d be impossible to sleep then.

Something in his eyes caught her notice, and she tilted her head.

“Minilla and the rest went back home, didn’t they?” She softly guessed, walking over.

Godzilla didn’t even rumble as he slowly nodded.

“You’re lonely now… aren’t you?” Maddie then guessed, Godzilla confirming it once more. “Hm…”

She turned to look back at the base entrance. She shouldn’t have been out this late to begin with, and there was no way her father would approve, but…

Her double and the corresponding version of Godzilla were living proof that the coexistence Serizawa was always hoping for was possible, even if in another place and time. Maybe… coexistence was possible here, too.

That must’ve been why Godzilla sought her out. He saw the bond his double had with Maddie’s double, and wanted to extend the olive branch now that he knew it was possible as well.

“Alright,” Maddie granted, as Godzilla leaned down to allow her purchase onto his building-sized frame. “But if my dad finds out… It was your idea, not mine.”

Godzilla huffed, snorting, as he turned, going off into the water as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	16. El and Mothra's Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read it, go read at least the final fight and epilogue of Godzilla, Mothra and Biollante: The Giant Monsters' All-Out Attack, before reading this chapter. It's got some important developments. The way I'm sort of treating it is this story's kind of the 'buffer' space between each one, filled with the more minor monsters, while the big events each get their own separate installment.

Everybody reacts to the new presence on the base in different ways. Most of them are wary of Mothra at first, it being simple human nature. Yet, despite their caution, each and every person on the base can’t deny that the divine creature exuded a comforting, radiating beauty the likes of which no human in existence could ever match.

Still, despite that, everybody gives Mothra a wide berth. They’re thankful for her assistance in stopping Biollante, and in raising the new island from the sea, but Mothra could crush them all with a twitch, and none want to risk that.

Which is a shame, because Mothra’s such a sweetheart.

Curiously enough, it was _El_ to figure that out first. You’d think it would be Maddie who found that out, but all of her giant monster hangout time was spent with Godzilla.

No, it was El. Truthfully speaking, she probably would’ve stayed far away from Mothra, but she was just so… curious. She had questions she needed answers to. And Mothra was the only one who could provide them.

So, one day after she’d helped Joyce pick up their quarters, El went outside, and crossed the land bridge to Monster Island. Godzilla and Maddie were probably trying to see if he could fly by using his atomic breath as an engine, but she wasn’t interested in the inevitable failure of that concept.

El wandered a bit into the jungle of the island. It was amazing how all of it sprung up overnight, the trees, the large mountains, rivers and creeks cutting through the place looking like they had been formed over thousands of years, and El was sure she was starting to see some animals moving in. Monarch wasn’t bringing them in, which left the obvious question of how they were showing up.

She’d add that to the list of questions she wanted to ask Mothra.

After ten minutes of walking through the dense foliage, El eventually came up on an enormous wall of falling water. There was a faint glow behind the water, and El knew she’d found the right place.

“Miss Mothra?” El called out to the divine kaiju. “Are you there?”

The glow grew brighter, and El could see Mothra’s eyes open, shining a bright blue. _“Hello again, my child… It’s very nice seeing you again.”_

“Um…” El frowned. How did people normally reply in those situations? Ah. “It’s good to see you too. Listen, um…”

Mothra tilted her head. _“Child? What’s wrong?”_

“I have some questions.” El stated. “Could you maybe… answer them for me?”

Mothra, though her features weren’t human in the slightest, kindly smiled, bowing her head. _“I would be delighted to. What is it you wish to know?”_

“Right, okay, um…” El bit her lower lip. Which one did she want to ask first? The question about her dying and the subsequent vision of Mothra, or how her powers worked since Mothra seemed to be the source?

 _“I sense a great deal of… indecision within you.”_ Mothra began. _“Perhaps you’d like to come back another time?”_

El shook her head. “No. I know what I want to ask, just not what I want to ask _first_.”

Mothra chuckled at that. _“You must have many questions then. Ah… The boundless curiosity of the human being. Would it help if I started making suggestions?”_

“Probably not…” El chewed the inside of her cheek.

 _“Oh, you never know.”_ Mothra replied. _“I think your problem is that you’re wound up too tightly.”_

El tilted her head. “’Wound up?’”

 _“You’re not familiar with that expression?”_ Mothra asked, surprised.

“I… don’t know a lot of things.” El quietly admitted.

Mothra fell silent for but a moment, and El swore she could feel the divine monster looking into her soul. _“Oh, my poor, poor child…”_ Mothra whispered. _“You know, a common act among humans to relax is to enjoy a meal together.”_ She began, quickly changing tracks. _“Would you like to share a meal with me and talk?”_

El blinked. “Like, how Maddie eats around Godzilla? I didn’t bring anything.”

Mothra laughed gently. _“No, no little one. I meant you and I eat together at one of the eateries you have on this planet.”_

El looked Mothra up and down. “But you wouldn’t fit.”

Mothra’s mischievous smile electrified the air. _“I have ways around that.”_

El was about to ask what she meant by that, but Mothra’s wings began to glow a blinding gold, the wall of water not dimming the light in the slightest. The light began to fade, and El swore she saw the silhouette of Mothra’s wings vanish, before it all went dark.

El’s hands dropped, and she looked into the waterfall curiously. “Miss Mothra?”

A humanoid figure slowly walked, breaking through the waterfall, coming to a stop. It was a woman, a _beautiful_ woman. was wearing a white, silk gown, and her blue eyes seemed to glow with faint light. Her hair was a silver color, her skin pale like one of those porcelain figures El had seen in the fancy antique shops.

El knew who it was the moment she stepped out, and her jaw dropped. “Miss Mothra…?”

Mothra laughed. “Oh, _I’m_ the strangest thing you’ve seen?”

“No, but…” El blinked as Mothra walked across the water like it was a solid surface, picking up her gown as not to get it wet. Mothra came to a stop, and El reached out, poking her in the sternum. “How…?”

“All life is made of tiny little building blocks.” Mothra explained patiently, looking down at El kindly. “For a being such as myself, it’s easy to make these building blocks arrange themselves differently.”

“But… you’re _human_.” El repeated, poking Mothra again.

“No.” Mothra replied. “I merely look it. A mere peek at my DNA would be a dead giveaway.”

“Still…” El breathed, walking around Mothra to get the full effect. “That’s… awesome.”

Mothra chuckled lightly. “Yes… I suppose it is.” She held her hand out for El to take. “Now, shall we?”

El frowned, tilting her head. “We’re surrounded by water. How are we going to get to the mainland?”

Mothra winked, tapping her nose. “I have my ways.”

\------------

As it turns out, Mothra can slip between humanoid form and her Imago form as easily as a human would slip on a shoe, and she’s quite a stealthy being, but El wasn’t sure if _that_ part was a special ability, or just Mothra being crafty. Regardless of the case, the two had made it back to the mainland without being detected, Mothra had gone back to humanoid, and they set about the town.

El blinked, looking around. There were so many places around, and she didn’t know what she liked. She’d had fast food enough times to count on one hand, and there was a different problem.

“Money.” El stated aloud.

Mothra looked to the girl curiously, tilting her head. “I’m sorry?”

“We need money to get food.” El explained.

“Hm…” Mothra frowned. She searched around, finding (to her) a strange kiosk with lettering above it. “That device, people are taking money from it. Is it some sort of dispenser?”

“Kind of.” El answered. “We need to have money for it though.”

Mothra’s frowned intensified as her eyebrows knit together. “That’s somewhat counter-intuitive, don’t you think? Why would a device meant to give people currency need currency?”

“Because… it’s not _giving_ it to them.” El laid out after a moment. “It’s _their_ money. People have these little plastic squares that save their money on it, and when they want money to hold, they put the card in and take it out.”

Mothra chewed her lip. “I assume since neither of us possess one of these cards, we’ll not be able to use the device in the intended manner?”

El shook her head.

“I see.” Mothra glanced around, taking El’s hand as she walked over to the ATM. With but a twitch of her head, the output slot opened, and a stack of bills came flying out, into Mothra’s waiting hand. Quickly, she turned and moved away, pulling El along.

El frowned scrutinizingly. “Did you just steal from it?”

“Yes.” Mothra honestly replied.

El crossed her arms. “Stealing’s wrong.”

“I brought your entire species into existence.” Mothra replied, counting the stack. “If it eases your conscience, think of it as me taking payment for that. Really, it’s little more than a crumb compared to the tributes I used to get. Besides, _I’m_ the one who came up with the stealing rule to begin with.”

El tilted her head skeptically. “No, you didn’t.”

“Did so.” Mothra retorted. “You all had such small civilizations at that point, they would’ve torn themselves apart from interpersonal squabbles had I not laid down the law.”

“…There’s no way you’re that old.” El breathed.

“I am.” Mothra shrugged, simply stating a fact. “I’m uncertain of precisely how old I am, but I am old enough. Why,” She looked up, “I remember pulling vast amounts of molten rock from the Earth in order to create the moon. And your people _went_ to it!” She smiled like a proud mother. “Human beings… I’m so proud of you.”

“Really?” El asked. “After everything we’ve done?” She wasn’t an expert, but if the way she’d been treated was any indication… she’d think humanity wasn’t worth saving.”

“It will all come to an end someday.” Mothra sagely began in response. “Cars, buildings, even the Earth itself… it will all be atoms floating in space in the end. Why waste time being angry when you can forgive and move on?”

“…Some people don’t deserve it.” El replied.

“Perhaps not.” Mothra granted. “But instead of forgiving them for their benefit… perhaps you should forgive them for yours.”

El slowly shook her head. That didn’t really make any sort of sense. As she walked, another question filled her mind, the one that had started this little journey to begin with.

“Miss Mothra,” El looked to her, “I’m ready to ask my questions.”

Mothra smiled welcomingly. “Go ahead.”

“Maddie and I, we’re… Shobijin, right?”

“That’s right.” Mothra nodded.

“Does she have… powers?” El inquired. “Like me?”

Mothra looked ahead. “I do not believe so. Your abilities manifested out of a… survival scenario. People knew some small amount of what you were capable of and pushed you accordingly. Madison had no such upbringing.”

“But…” El bit her lip. “She and Godzilla have that…” She wildly gestured. “Mind stuff.”

Mothra smiled. “She and Godzilla have a very close bond. One that I believe not even _they_ realize the extent of how deep it runs. Subconsciously, she reached out to him, and he reached back. Such lonely beings on their own…” Mothra rubbed her chin. “It was only natural they found each other.”

“Alright. And what about… me?” El asked.

Mothra looked at her inquiringly. “What about you?”

“I… I _died_.” El responded, swallowing. “In Chicago. My powers were gone, I died, and I thought that was it. Then I had this… dream, and you said it wasn’t my time to die, and then I was back. And so were my powers! I guess… I guess I just wanna know, why me?”

Mothra stopped, turning to El, gently taking her hands. “You’ve done so much for this world, child… More than you know. Closing the portal to the Dark Reflection, fighting against my Dark Twin’s twisted machinations…”

“You…” El breathed. “You _know_ about all that?”

“You are one of my children.” Mothra responded simply, smiling. “Even when I was caught between rebirths, I kept close watch on you. In truth, you fascinated me.”

“Why?” El asked.

“Because, you’re special.” Mothra replied. “Not just in ability, but personality. I’ve seen those suffer through similar things as you, and it turned them into creatures of rage, motivated only by revenge and fury. But you are different. The pain broke you, but it didn’t make you angry… it made you kind. That’s why I brought you back.” Mothra explained. “I bent the rules of life and death in a not insignificant way, but it was worth it. You are one of the most brilliant, shining examples of what humanity can be, and it would’ve been a tragedy to lose you.”

“Wow…” El breathed. “You mean that?” She asked hopefully. Mothra spoke to her in the same way Joyce had when talking about her accomplishments, not the way that the scientists at the lab had spoken.

“Every word.” Mothra confirmed.

“So, if you brought me back…” El shifted. “Can you bring others back?”

Mothra smiled sadly. “I’m afraid I bent the rules far enough with bringing you back, and you are one who bears a fragment of my power. Any other being… it would upset the sanctity of life and death in ways I cannot possibly predict or fathom.”

El slumped upon hearing that. “Oh.” She figured it might’ve been a long shot, but she still had to ask. For Hopper. “Is there an afterlife?” She asked, reasoning that since Mothra knew so much, she surely had an answer to that. El hoped wherever Hopper was, he was happy.

Mothra smiled gently, placing her hand on El’s shoulder. “Your father is just fine.”

When those words hit El, the confirmation she’d so desperately sought, but no one was able to provide… she burst into tears.

“Thank you…” El sniffled. “Thank you, Miss Mothra.”

Mothra pulled El into a warm hug. “You’re very welcome my child. And please, just ‘Mothra’ will do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	17. Subconscious Desires

Maddie liked sleep. Sleep was good, sleep was serene. She could just slip away, let all the anxieties and problems of the world slip away for those blissful few hours.

Plus, Godzilla shared dreams with her.

Indeed, the uncanny connection the two shared went much farther than being able to speak to each other telepathically, and one feeling the sensations of the other. When it came time to sleep, it was like the two’s minds… melded, sharing a dreamscape.

She wasn’t a person who lucid dreamed very often. Quite rarely, in fact, but when it did happen, it was one of her favorite things. But lucid dreaming like this was… unheard of. Allow me to elaborate.

The first time it had happened, Maddie was lucid dreaming. The particulars of how she knew that are not important, just that she was. Anyhow, Maddie set about going about the dream, messing with things, playing about, just goofing off.

Until something caught her eye. It was a Shoney’s, standing freely.

She _hated_ Shoney’s. Immediately demolished every last one she saw in her dreams. Had done the same with this one.

So why was that _abomination,_ that affront to all that’s good and nice in the world, still standing?

Maddie growled at it and took it down with a mere thought.

It crumbled into nothing, dust flying out as the building crumbled like a shoddily built art project.

Maddie smiled, and was about to turn to go on her way, when the destruction suddenly _reversed,_ becoming undone like someone had hit the rewind button on a VCR.

“What in the…” Maddie muttered to herself, looking at the building in a scrutinizing manner. It would’ve been child’s play to repeat the destruction, but…

She was curious. What could’ve been reversing it?

She walked through the door, bell chiming as she entered the restaurant. She looked around, stopping in confusion as she saw Joyce, Jonathan, El, and a boy she’d never met before eating at one of the booths.

Maddie wracked her brain, trying to figure it out, before she recognized the face from the pictures in the Byers’s quarters.

“ _Godzilla_!?” Maddie squeaked, causing the human-form of her best friend to jump as she stormed over.

“Maddie?” Godzilla repeated, sounding just like he did mentally. “What… Oh, don’t tell me this is one of _those_ dreams.”

“Hey!” Maddie poked him. “This is my dream, what’re you doing in it!? I know I didn’t ask for you!”

 _“Me!?”_ Godzilla looked affronted, recoiling back slightly. “This is _my_ dream, what’re _you_ doing here!?”

“Hm…” Maddie narrowed her eyes, thinking. Books said that dream people became disproportionately agitated when you suggested everything was a dream. “This is a dream.”

Godzilla huffed, crossing his arms. As a human, he looked… normal. Nondescript. She’d expected him to be built like a wrestler, or a football player, but no, he was thin, gangly. A normal dude. The most _atrocious_ part of his appearance though was the haircut. Bowl-cuts may have been in with the Beatles, but it was the 1980s, that shit didn’t fly anymore.

“Of course it’s a dream.” Godzilla snorted. “We’ve already established that.”

Maddie blinked. “What the…” Okay, so, that turned out to be a bust… Unless… She turned to the bear-like man sitting in the booth. “You, discount Tom Sellick. This is a dream.”

The man scowled, face twisting in rage. “Don’t be ridiculous! Shut the hell up!”

“What the hell?” Maddie wondered, turning back to Godzilla. He shared a similar look of confusion.

“We’re the only two real people here?” Godzilla stood up, pacing around Maddie, looking her up and down. “Wait… prove to me you’re Maddie. Say something only she would say.”

Maddie snorted, crossing her arms. “That won’t work, moron. If I’m a product of your subconscious, I’ll already know what you’re going to expect.”

“…Good point.” Godzilla admitted. “Alright, time for a different plan.”

“Oh, yeah.” Maddie agreed. She thought about it for a moment, before winding up, slapping him as hard as he could.

“OW!” Godzilla screeched as the crack echoed around like a gunshot. “MOTHERFUCK!”

“Well, you’re real.” Maddie granted.

“What the hell!?” Godzilla rubbed his cheek. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

Maddie smiled mischievously. “Even when you’re really angry with me, you never curse _at_ me.”

Godzilla scowled. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“Not if you have a self-preservation instinct, there isn’t.” Maddie glared non-threateningly. “So… You’re in my dream. Or am I in yours? Either way, it’s awkward.”

Godzilla’s hand dropped from his face, and his brow furrowed in confusion. It was so… strange to think of him as the 500-foot, 90,000-ton God Incarnate she knew and loved, but here he was. Only a few inches taller than her, at the very most.

Wouldn’t last that way for long. She was growing fast, if this dream thing happened again, she’d be taller than him in all probability.

“I’m not sure.” Godzilla admitted, terribly, horribly confuzzled. “I don’t think anything like this has happened… has it?”

“I don’t know.” Maddie just as readily echoed. “But what does it matter?”

Godzilla tilted his head quizzically.

“You’re here! With me, and _human_!” Maddie gushed. “ _And_ we’re lucid dreaming! Let’s do something fun!”

“Fun…” Godzilla repeated, a deep sinking feeling of impending doom clutching him. “Like what?”

“Come on!” Maddie grabbed his hand and tried not to squeal aloud at the fact that this was Godzilla and she was able to _grab his hand_. “Oh!” She suddenly stopped, “But first…” Her eyes narrowed, and the Shoney’s suddenly collapsed, leaving the two entirely unscathed.

“Alright, now we can go.”

\------------

Godzilla and Maddie spent their time in the shared dream doing things from his human life that he no longer could, and he was immensely happy because of it. Sledding down a snowy hill, playing board games like D&D, video games that were awfully detailed for being in a dream, and so much more.

After a small eternity, however, the world began to blur, getting slightly out of focus, a faint black hue overtaking everything.

It was time to wake up.

“Well…” Godzilla took a breath. Truthfully speaking, he didn’t want to wake up. He could spend an eternity here with just Maddie. “I guess it’s time.”

Maddie drew her lips into a line. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that.” She told him. “We can still go have fun when you wake back up.”

“I know… but not like this.” Godzilla gestured around to the chaotic path they had carved through their shared dream. “And we don’t know if this is a one-time thing or not…”

Maddie’s disposition grew solemn. “…Yeah…” She looked downcast for some moments, before her eyes suddenly sparkled. “But you know what? It means I can do… this!” She said, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tightly.

Godzilla stood still, frozen for a moment. It had been so long since he had real, proper physical contact like this. The only thing that came close was when Maddie tried to ‘hug’ him in the real world, and even that was doomed to failure. She was an ant compared to him.

Not here. And it was something that could’ve made him cry.

And, in truth, it did. Godzilla sniffled as he shakily raised his arms, returning Maddie’s warm embrace. He kept his eyes closed and said nothing, merely choosing to savor the moment for as long as he could, not knowing if something like this would happen again. He drew a deep breath, taking in everything in as much detail as he could.

Maddie was warm, like most people. It was a good warmth, especially given that even in his current state, he felt extremely cold, like he had during and after the possession. The girl smelled of coconuts, the scent of strawberry shampoo clinging to her hair with a vengeance.

Godzilla drew out the moment as long as humanly possible. If this never happened again, this was the closest thing to proper physical contact he’d ever get with his friend.

“I’ll see you when we wake up, Big Guy.” Maddie quietly murmured, and Godzilla returned it with an equally silent ‘hm.’

Before long, the world faded, going dark, and so too did the feeling of the hug.

Godzilla’s eyes creaked open, the stone floor beneath him warm only thanks to his body heat and the ambient warmth of the cave being generated by the flowing magma far, far below. He was curled up kind of like a giant dog, Maddie resting on his snout in a sleeping bag.

He dared not move. Not until she woke.

Godzilla gently huffed, pushing out air, as he closed his eyes again.

He wanted to go back to sleep.

Godzilla liked sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	18. The Naked Now, Part One

“Duck!” Mothra advised, rolling out of the way as the enemy monster, a creature the Monarch personnel had named Koburus, a giant snake-like monster originating from somewhere on the African continent, rattled and hissed, going to spit venom from its gargantuan set of fangs.

Koburus wasn’t the first in the new generation of monsters they’d encountered. True to Monarch’s fears, Biollante’s appearance had merely been the heralding of a new age in Earth’s history, one where monsters appeared and roamed freely.

Not _all_ the monsters were bad, though. Just the majority of the ones they’d encountered so far. The one exception to not go on a murderous rampage was Rodan, and that was because he hadn’t been created as part of Biollante’s cells entering the ecosystem. Of course, there only had been three monsters so far, and obviously discounting Rodan, two were hostile, including Koburus

Koburus had appeared in a similar manner as the other one. Humans were going about their normal day, only worrying about the normal things people usually did, then a monster showed up and tear down their world.

So naturally, the responsibility fell to Godzilla and Mothra to go in and take down the creature, before it could smash up more human settlements.

Godzilla, who had been getting back up from a _nasty_ hit from Koburus’s long tail, heard Mothra’s order, but couldn’t react in time do duck properly, instead trying to shield his face from the venom.

The gallons of venom struck him, and Godzilla froze up. The stuff was _warm,_ as in _bad_ warm, like… the substance that commonly causes pools to suddenly become warm in certain spots.

“Oh, come on…” Godzilla groaned.

Mothra would’ve rolled her eyes at Godzilla’s antics, but Koburus was slithering towards Godzilla, obviously going in for the kill. Taking the distraction unwittingly granted to her, Mothra surged ahead at ramming speed, slamming her stinger down through Koburus’s head with such force his skull shattered like glass.

Koburus froze as Mothra’s stinger venom filled the enormous blood vessels in his brain, and he collapsed, eyes becoming cloudy as he bled out from the wound in his head, life fading from the opaque pools.

“Damn…” Godzilla blinked, looking at Koburus’s dead form. “That was brutal. Eck…” He sniffed the air, and gagged profusely at the rotten, putrid stench in the air. “This stuff smells like ass!”

“Perhaps next time, _don’t_ merely stand there when I order you to duck, hm?” Mothra cocked her head to the side.

“Yeah, if I’m lucky, there won’t _be_ a next time.” Godzilla replied, shuddering in disgust. “AW, GOD, IT’S SEEPING INTO MY SKIN!”

“Relax,” Mothra told him, “The battle’s over now. Just swim for some time in the ocean, and it will all be washed away.”

“Yeah, yeah…” He sniffed his torso and recoiled. “I’m guessing you _don’t_ want to carry me back to base?”

“Certainly not.” Mothra sniffed, then shivered in revulsion. “Don’t worry, it isn’t a long walk.” She told him, flapping her enormous wings, before she took to the sky, gliding into the distant blue sky.

“Yeah,” Godzilla frustratedly sighed. “Could use the exercise anyway…”

\----------

By the time Godzilla got back to Monster Island, night had long fallen. The people in Castle Bravo nearby were probably already asleep, Mothra had gone back to her waterfall, and Rodan was perched on top of the volcano.

“Hey!” Godzilla shouted up to the firebird. “I didn’t notice you out there helping Mothra and I, care to explain that!?”

Rodan glanced down. Had he been able to procure objects sized properly for him, Godzilla was sure Rodan would be wearing a pair of sunglasses holding a suntan mirror in his winged arms.

“You and the moth had it under control.” Rodan looked back up to the sky. “Besides, blame your humans. They’ve been poking and prodding me all day.”

“ _Sure_.” Godzilla dripped sarcasm with that single word. “Blame the humans, they’re the source of all your problems.” He huffed, turning to walk towards his den. “Whatever. Next time Mothra and I get sent out to fight, I’d better see you out there, or I’m turning your ass into grilled chicken.”

Rodan snorted, shaking his head as he sunk down back into the lava. “Try it.” He mumbled. “Fatty.”

\---------

Godzilla walked into the cave entrance in the side of the mountain, feeling the warmth wash over him. It made him curious, how Mothra not only managed to create an entire island, but lay it out enough to not only fit him, but her, _and_ Rodan, as well as whatever good monsters they might also convince to join their side as well.

Was the island bigger on the inside? Maybe, he couldn’t rule out anything when it came to Mothra just yet.

The stone felt rough and warm underneath his feet. The good kind of rough, where it hit and scratched all those tough to satisfy places on the bottom of the foot.

His entrance caught the attention of the girl sitting on a couch on the raised platform of the cave. Shortly after finding the place, Godzilla had noticed there were a few little nooks and crannies perfectly sized for a human, so he helped Maddie move some stuff in, that way when they decided to have one of their sleepovers, it would just be a simple matter of grabbing a change of clothes and leaving it there.

There was an electric stove powered by a small geothermal generator placed in the volcano, lights, and a television. A bed that came from her mother’s house in Boston was pushed up against the wall, but in a place where Godzilla could put his head nearby if he so wished, and the aforementioned couch. Mothra had also assisted in the installation of some all-natural indoor plumbing by using her abilities to shape the stone around the island into pipes that drew from a water source. She didn’t even have to worry about space heaters anymore, the ambient temperature of the place was cozy enough already, even with the giant hole that _should_ have been letting all the heat out.

“Hey, Big Guy.” Maddie smiled up at him, breaking away from her book.

“Hey, Mads.” Godzilla replied, not even asking if she intended on staying. She had already set up on the couch, was wearing her pajamas, and covered in a blanket. It’d take a legion of trained military personnel to get her to move from that couch now. “What’cha reading?”

“Oh,” Maddie glanced at the cover, snapping it closed, hiding it under the blanket. “Nothing important. How did the fight go?”

Godzilla narrowed his eyes suspiciously. She _never_ hid anything from him… unless it was embarrassing. Oh well. “We came, we saw, we kicked it’s ass.” Godzilla quoted, moving to his favorite spot on the floor.

“Nice.” Maddie remarked. “Mothra made you do the heavy lifting again?”

“Of course,” Godzilla grumbled. “Still, she’s better than Rodan at least. Guy wouldn’t even come out to help.”

“Oh, never mind him.” Maddie rolled her eyes. “You guys won, that’s what’s important. So!” She clapped her hands, running over to the TV, grabbing three VHS tapes in their sleeves. “Look what _I’ve_ got!” She sing-songed. “Time for that Star Wars marathon we’ve been planning, don’t you think?”

Godzilla was about to answer in the positive when he yawned. “No offense, Maddie, but the only thing I’d rather be doing right now is sleeping.”

“Aw, come on!” She whined. “We’ve been planning this for ages!”

“Tomorrow.” Godzilla resolved, laying down on the ground. “I promise.”

“Ugh.” Maddie frustratedly grunted. “ _Fine_.” She huffed, sighing., before she nevertheless smiled up at him. “Goodnight, big guy.”

Godzilla yawned, curling up. “Night…” He mumbled, drifting asleep faster than he ever had before.

\-----------

That night, something strange happened. Godzilla woke up, standing tall.

Maddie felt the movement, and sat up in her bed, blinking away sleep. “G?” She called out.

“Mm… razzin frazzin dazzin bazzin…” Godzilla mumbled, turning around.

“What’re you doing?” Maddie inquired sleepily, as Godzilla stumbled and swayed to the cave exit.

“Gonna go… get a corn dog…” Godzilla muttered in an obvious haze, “An’ Mountain Dew... Mmph.”

“Are you…” Maddie rubbed her eyes. “Sleepwalking?”

“’M gon’ git you boy…” Godzilla drug his feet along the ground as he walked out, through the woods and the center of the island, to the coastline.

“Alright, cool…” Maddie mumbled, letting her head hit the pillow. He was heading away from Castle Bravo, and even if he wasn’t, Godzilla wasn’t the type to hurt people, even in a sleep-induced haze. “See you in the morning…”

Godzilla muttered something back, and Maddie drifted away.

\-----------

Light hit Maddie’s eyelids and she slowly forced her eyes open. “Hmph?” She leaned up unsteadily, looking around. “Oh, right… he sleepwalked away last night… was it last night?” She yawned. She threw her legs over the side of her bed, and staggered out of bed, struggling to keep her balance.

 _God_ it was hot in there. Her pajamas were going to be completely waterlogged with sweat.

“Gonna have to tell Mothra to turn down the thermostat…” Maddie walked unsteadily, swaying as she climbed down from her part, and left the cave, heading towards Castle Bravo. “Hungry though… want breakfast… mmm… bacon.”

\----------

When Joyce was met with the knock on the door, answering it, she was shocked to see Maddie standing there, sweating, looking out of breath, and… covered in leaves?

“Madison?” Joyce looked the girl up and down in shock. “Good lord, what happened!?”

“Nothin’…” Maddie hiccupped. “Nothing happened.”

“You’re _covered_ in leaves and dirt!” Joyce exclaimed, picking some out of her hair. “Did a tree fall on you!?”

“N…” Maddie swatted her hand, sloshing around in place. “No… Went to play with my bush brethren.”

Joyce gaped, searching for any words. “Bush brethren!?”

“I’m a… bush.” Maddie searched, smacking her lips. “Went to go be with my people…”

Joyce frowned, placing her hand on Maddie’s forehead. “You’re running a fever.”

“No… no fever.” Maddie muttered. “Fevers make me feel cold. It’s just hot. And wet… is the wet me or is it somethin’ else?”

Joyce furrowed her brows as she wracked her brain. It took her a few moments, but she realized just what it was that was so familiar about this.

“Madison… are you _drunk!?”_

“I’ve drunk lotsa things…” Maddie once again smacked her lips. “Can you be more pacific?”

“Specific,” Joyce corrected through gritted teeth. “And you _are_ drunk. Alright, young lady. Sit.” She hissed, guiding Maddie over to the dining room table. Maddie wasn’t her daughter, but damnit, she was the only adult around here who apparently noticed her state, so it fell to Joyce to rectify the situation.

“We gonna eat breakfast now?” Maddie asked, laying her head on the table. “Good… good breakfast. You make good food.”

“The only thing _you’re_ eating,” Joyce told her, “Is something to sober you up!” She couldn’t believe it. Just what kind of father was Mark, letting his thirteen-year-old daughter get drunk? She was gonna have words with him. Then, the possibility occurred to her that maybe it was Will’s doing, and if that was the case, she was going to have _serious_ words with the lizard her son had become.

Joyce hadn’t had to whip up something like this since Lonnie had left. Something to shock the system so badly it’d get the blood pumping and the alcohol flushed out of the body pretty quickly.

Joyce set to work making the dish.

And making a note to chew all parties involved out when Maddie was sober again.

\---------------

Mark had been at his post in the command center, typing up a report on Koburus’s defeat to send off to the military, when the speakers crackled.

 _“Command, this is the medical bay.”_ The voice of their doctor came in. _“Doctor Russell, respond please.”_

All heads looked to Mark inquisitively, even though the man himself was just as confused as he went over to the intercom panel, pressing the button to talk back.

“Mark here.” He replied. “What’s the problem, Beverly?”

 _“I’ve got Madison down here with me right now,”_ The woman began in response. _“Now, don’t panic, she isn’t injured, but it would satisfy my curiosity to know_ why _this teenage girl seems to be_ drunk _.”_

“Drunk!?” Mark’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead. “My daughter is drunk!?”

 _“Quite.”_ Doctor Howard replied monotonously. _“And- well, perhaps you should come down here to see for yourself.”_

“On my way.” Mark growled, storming out of the room and down through the base to the medical bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	19. The Naked Now, Part Two

When Mark strode into the medical bay, he was met with the sight of Doctor Beverly Howard bent over some sort of medical scanner, while Maddie was sitting on the medical bay, focused with rapt attention on a small wooden box in her hand.

Maddie flicked the switch on the top, and in response, a small wooden panel popped open, a tiny arm going to flick the switch back, before retracting. Maddie giggled like a madman, before going to repeat the action.

“Mark,” Beverly breathed in relief, standing upright. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“H-“ Maddie hiccupped, “Heyyyyyyy dad.” She slurred, giggling again as the box pushed the switch back.

“Jesus…” Mark walked over, looking her up and down. “What’s gotten into you!? Hanging out with a giant lizard is one thing, but this!? Getting drunk!?”

“Hey,” Maddie weakly pointed, “’M not drunk… I’m as clean as a… clean thing.” She erupted into uncontrollable laughter as the box pushed the switch back.

Mark looked to Beverly. “I want to know three things. How drunk is she, where’d she get it, and who’s ass do I have to kick?”

“Well…” The woman bit her lip. “That’s the thing. Come over here and take a look.” She guided him over, gesturing to the tiny screen. “Blood alcohol is at _zero_. She hasn’t drunk _anything_.”

“ _Told_ you.” Maddie swayed.

Mark looked between his _totally sloshed teenage daughter,_ and Beverly. “That doesn’t make any sense! Unless,” He looked to Maddie. “You’re faking. Knock it off!”

“N-“ Maddie rubbed her eyes. “Not faking.”

Beverly looked to Mark seriously. “As much as it doesn’t make sense… Her blood alcohol isn’t at zero, but she isn’t faking being drunk either. I’ve even administered the same tests police use on drunk drivers, and they all confirm it.” She turned back to her instruments. “I’m running some more comprehensive blood tests now to determine the cause, but it might be some time before I get the results back.”

“Right,” Mark rubbed his head, “How’s this going to affect Godzilla, do you think?”

“Godzilla?” Beverly looked up.

“Yeah, you know he and her have that… symbiosis.” Mark searched for the word. “What happens to him affects her and vice versa.”

“Well, I can’t say for certain what kind of effects this is going to have on him.” Beverly admitted. “You might want to have a look at him yourself.”

“Right,” Mark sighed, turning around, going to leave. “Madison,” He looked to her, “I want you to stay here with Doctor Howard.”

“O-Okay,” Maddie drunkenly saluted. “Can we go for ice cream after?” She asked. “Always get ice cream after doctor’s visits…”

Mark quietly chuckled, despite himself. “Sure… after I figure out if I need to ground you or not for this.”

“Cool, whatever…” Maddie mumbled, going back to playing with the box.

Mark shook his head as he stepped out of the room, going back to the command center to check out on Godzilla.

Doctor Howard, meanwhile, went back to the blood tests, watching each test intently. A bead of sweat dropped from her forehead, and she wiped it away, fanning herself with her hand.

“Damn, it’s hot in here.”

\-----------

“Rick,” Mark addressed, striding into the command center. “Can you get me Godzilla’s bioacoustics.”

“Sure, man…” Rick rolled his eyes, muttering. “It’s not like I’m good for anything else around here…”

“Just shut up and do it.” Mark ordered, walking over to Rick’s station.

“Yeah, yeah…” Rick replied, pulling up the requested information. He blinked, recoiling somewhat at the bioacoustic readings. “Jesus… it’s going haywire!”

“No, it’s fine… it’s Godzilla that’s the problem.” Mark sighed. The last thing he needed was a giant, drunk lizard with atomic breath. “Can you get a drone near his cave?”

“Yeah, give me a sec.” Rick replied, bringing up the camera feed on his monitor, before navigating the small quadcopter to the cave. “Ah… He’s gone.”

“Gone?” Mark looked to the radar nearby. “Not getting anything on proximity…”

“Gojira is missing!?” Serizawa demanded, walking over. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, man!” Rick held his hands up. “I’m not in charge of monitoring him!”

“Actually,” Vivienne raised her voice from across the room. “You are!”

Mark turned to Rick demandingly. “How could you _lose_ a five-hundred-foot tall radioactive lizard!?”

Rick blinked. “Uh…”

\---------

_Several hours earlier…_

“Come on…” Rick muttered, focusing on the small sprite on the screen. He was playing a video game, one of those bullet hell platformer things, and he was getting close to the end after a long, arduous marathon.

He could see the end, and was moving to dodge the enemies, when his controller freaked out, and his sprite wouldn’t respond.

“SON OF A BITCH!” Rick raged, throwing his controller to the floor, as he was killed yet again. “OH, YOU FUCKING LIKE THAT, MOTHERFUCKER!? FUCKING GOD DAMNED LAG!” He knocked the TV over, shattering it into a thousand pieces, going to stomp it while it was down.

While he was doing so, he didn’t notice the shadow moving past the base.

\------------

Rick shrugged. “I’ve got no clue.”

“Well, we need to find him.” Mark commanded. “Maddie’s drunk and god knows what kind of effect it’s going to have on him.”

Serizawa raised an eyebrow. “Drunk!?”

“Nice.” Rick chuckled. “I mean,” He coughed, amending his statement upon being met with murderous glares. “Very bad. Very very bad.”

“Yeah,” Mark growled, “And if I find out it’s because she’s found one of your hidden stashes around here, I’m gonna kill you.”

Rick snorted. “I don’t have hidden stashes. They’re emergency kits.”

“Whatever,” Mark waved away. “We need to find Godzilla, fast.” He let out an anxious breath, “God only knows what he’s doing.”

\----------

Godzilla surfaced, smacking his lips, rubbing his eyes as the sun hit them. He’d raided a Mountain Dew plant in… somewhere. Honestly, he couldn’t tell where he’d ended up, only that the stuff was good, so he just headed back into the water, heading somewhere else.

The statue of liberty was behind him, and from where he was he could see the people below looking up at him in awe…

Then running in subsequent terror.

He wondered for a moment what all the hubbub was about but stopped as he saw a massive poster plastered on a couple of buildings.

“Wha…?” He muttered to himself, seeing the massive poster proclaiming a new film to be released in theaters. Maddie hadn’t told him she was a movie star. And then it made sense. “Oh, I… I think I’ve got the wrong room.” He turned, slinking back into the water. “I bet you don’t even taste like apples…”

\-------------

Maddie flicked the switch on top of the useless box again and watched as the arm pushed it back. It was boring now.

“D-“ Maddie hiccupped, “Doctor Howard? Can I go now?”

“Hm?” The woman looked up eyes bloodshot. “Yeah, yeah…” She quickly waved Maddie away, before turning to look back at the tests.

Maddie got up, stumbling and swaying, as she left the room, going back the way she came.

\------------

Maddie had decided to go back to the Byers’s quarters, seeking the breakfast she was promised but had never received.

She pushed the door open, and was met with Joyce sitting on the couch, bawling her eyes out, while a clueless El was trying to console the woman.

“It’s just so _much_!” Joyce cried, the woman red in the face and breathing heavily. “M-my son’s a monster, we have to deal with more showing up every day, and every person I go and try to date winds up dead! I killed him, El! _I_ killed Hopper!”

El shook her head as she rubbed Joyce’s back. “No, no you didn’t.” She stated, sounding like she’d done said it plenty of times. She looked at Maddie demandingly.

“Heyyyyyyyyyyy…” Maddie stumbled in, knocking over a lamp. “Oh… sorry. ‘m gonna… ‘m gonna go see what the others are doing.” She staggered back out, off-balance, out into the hallway.

“SEE!” Joyce cried even stronger. “I KISSED THAT LAMP EARLIER!”

“Why,” El demanded, “Did you kiss a lamp?”

“P-“ Joyce hiccupped. “Practice…”

\-----------

Indeed, all throughout the base, Maddie’s condition was spreading. All it took was a single touch, even from someone not showing any symptoms, and that was it. To make matters worse, the condition compelled people to seek out human contact.

So, within hours… the entire base was infected.

With what… nobody could say.

However, fortunately enough, there was one man immune to the effects.

\-------------

Rick had been standing outside at the top of the base, Monster Island to his back, as he enjoyed a cigarette and bottle of tequila. He didn’t count himself as a person who _enjoyed_ nature, just someone who liked the quiet of it.

A quiet that was suddenly shattered when the base rumbled like it had been struck by something, and Rick’s tequila went falling into the sea.

“Oh, goddammit!” Rick cursed, throwing up his hands. He tossed the cigarette to the ground, stamping it out, before he stormed back inside.

Several of the non-essential personnel were giggling like idiots, others were making out in corners, and some were just laying on the floor babbling.

Rick looked upon the sight with a scowl, shaking his head. He moved to continue, when suddenly, something poked him in the chest.

“Halt!” Serizawa ordered, pressing a hopefully blunt rapier tip to his sternum. “Interloper!”

Rick glanced down, gaping, as he struggled for words. “What in the goddamn? Where’d you get a sword?”

“Silence!” Serizawa bellowed. “Hitherto, no quarter shall be shown to-!”

“Yeah, real funny, Shakespeare.” Rick muttered pushing the sword away as carefully as he could. “What’s gotten into your head, Serizawa?”

“Henceforth, you are to address me as Ishiro the Swift!” Serizawa commanded.

The base rumbled again, causing alarmed screams to ring throughout.

“Hark!” Serizawa held a hand up near his ear. “Doth thou hear with thine ears as I do with mine!? A fair maiden is in need of assistance!” He proclaimed, charging off. “Fret not, my dear!”

Rick blinking, standing frozen for more than a few seconds as he was at a total loss. “…Yeah, you go do that, Don Quixote.”

The base trembled once more.

“What the hell is causing that!?” Rick demanded aloud to nobody.

\-----------

“AHAHA!” Maddie madly laughed, clapping her hands. “Again!”

“Batter-“ El burped, “Up!” She declared, tossing a massive chunk pulled out of the ground towards Godzilla.

The lizard wielded a trunk from one of the massive super-trees growing on the island like a bat and swayed as he kept his eyes locked on the hurtling rock.

Godzilla swung, missing entirely, as the rock soared past him, almost striking Rodan’s volcano as it plunged into the ocean, creating a massive wave that rocked the base on the other side of the island.

“Strike two!” Maddie called, writing what was actually the _seventh_ strike down in the soil, before losing her balance and accidentally wiping it away, leaving only the one mark.

“Will you Neanderthals watch it!?” Rodan furiously squawked.

“Again!” Maddie commanded.

El wound up mentally, chucking another boulder over Godzilla’s head, narrowly missing Rodan’s volcano.

“Strike…” Maddie looked to the tally marks. “TWO!”

“Alright, you guys, this isn’t funny anymore!” Rodan called down. “That could’ve hurt somebody!”

\------------

Rick confusedly stumbled his way through the base, dodging and weaving past the drunken crowds filling the halls. He had to figure out what was going on.

“Jesus, I step out for five minutes…” Rick muttered, entering the command center, and freezing.

“YOU ATE MY ENCHILADA!” Ilene furiously accused, chasing Mark around with a sock filled with jingling coins.

“It was-“ Mark burped, adding insult to injury. “Tasty!”

The entire place was a goddamned mess. Seats were overturned, screens defaced with all manner of immature graffiti, and the less said about Vivienne and Serizawa’s rendezvous in the corner of the room, the better.

“What…” Rick began. “In God’s name has gotten into you idiots!?”

“We’re…” Beverly swayed unsteadily, barely managing not to be knocked down by Mark’s attempts to get away from Ilene. She snapped her fingers, searching. “Skunk as drunks…”

Rick looked between all of them. “ _That’s_ what this is all about… Jesus, you people really can’t hold your liquor, can you?”

“Heh.” Barnes chuckled. “You said ‘lick her.’”

“Alright, shit, um…” Rick frustratedly rubbed his temples. “You _all_ can’t be drunk!”

“We’re not…” Beverly gestured frustratedly. “Normal drunk. Issa… weird water thing.”

“You mean a chemical?” Rick’s eyes bugged out, as his hand shot to pull the collar of his shirt over his mouth and nose.

“Don…” Beverly stumbled over to him. “Don’t worry… ‘s trashmastered through touch.”

“T- _Trashmastered!?”_ Rick repeated. “You mean transmitted!?”

“Same difference.”

“Okay, um, shit.” Rick’s hands dropped. He’d touched plenty of people though, why wasn’t he infected? “I’m gonna have to go to the canteen to get you idiots some sober juice, aren’t I?”

“Not gonna… Not gonna work.” Beverly shook her head. “Joycelyn tried it on Maddie. Didn’t work. Cause… it’s not alcohol causing it.”

“Well, hell, if you’ve figured out that much, why the hell haven’t you been working on a cure!?” Rick demanded.

Beverly shrugged. “Have been. Got bored.”

Rick’s face twisted exasperatedly. “Alright, you, come on!” He grabbed her hand, pulling her along to the med bay.

“Hey, my martini!” Beverly squeaked.

“OW!” Mark bellowed, running into a table and falling over, as Ilene finally caught up to and proceeded to lay the pain upon him.

Vivienne and Serizawa had upgraded to locking themselves in his office and dispensing with the clothes, while Barnes was at the security terminal playing with dinosaurs.

A bunch of five-year-olds, the lot of them.

\-------------

“G?” Maddie smacked her lips, laying back as Godzilla lay back on the water.

Godzilla hiccupped, causing the portion of his chest where Maddie was laying down to bound like a bouncy castle. “Yep.”

“I love you, man.” Maddie slurred.

“I love you too, M-” Godzilla burped, shaking the area like an earthquake. “Mads.”

“Nooo…” Maddie waggled her finger. “I don’ mean like how… people say it like the end of phone calls…”

“Mmm… hate phone calls.” Godzilla blankly blinked, mind evidently elsewhere. “Can’t understand a single word.”

“I _love_ you love you.” Maddie hiccupped, laying flat on his scales. “Like… So much it _hurts_. Like… When I’m not around you, it _hurts._ Like…”

A deep, vibratory rumbling caught her attention, and she looked over, to where Godzilla had obviously nodded off.

“G!” Maddie bellowed. “Are you sleeping, you fat fuck!?”

Godzilla’s eyes popped back open, the mutant kicking frantically in the water. “Huh, what!? The answer’s *BURP* seventeen Mister Clarke!” Godzilla looked around. “Sorry, just… restin’ my eyes… you were saying? Hey… where’s El?

\----------------

“GET DOWN FROM THERE!” Mothra bellowed, chasing after El who was pulling a chunk of land through the air. A chunk of land El herself was _standing on._

“Shut up, you’re not my mom!”

\------------

Rick stormed into the medical bay, coming to a stop as he saw the mess. “Jesus… Jesus Christ, Beverly!” Papers were strewn about everywhere, medical instruments scattered around on the floor, the bed on its side.

“I need to do some… spring cleaning.” Beverly waved away, stumbling over to the chair to flop down in it. “Go ahead… everything you need should be here.”

“Yeah, just throw me to the wolves, why don’t you?” Rick muttered. “Dammit, I’m not a doctor… Then again, I _did_ work on MKUltra, so it can’t be worse than that… It’s just chemicals!” He shrugged to himself, moving with renewed vigor. “Yeah, it’s just mixing shit to make new shit, I can do that!”

Rick nodded to himself satisfactorily as he grabbed the equipment he thought he would need. He could do this, besides…

He loved a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	20. The Naked Now, Part Three

If there was one thing Rick could say he _hated_ about working with Monarch, was all the weird shit that tended to go down. First it was extradimensional kaiju that manifested through a Nintendo game, then it was a woman who turned herself into a plant monster, now it was a chemical infection that induced a similar state to drunkenness.

Honestly, it was kind of… annoying, in his opinion. Whatever shit was responsible for the base personnel becoming drunken idiots, it didn’t just make the crew drunk, it caused their body to _produce_ more of the chemical, which explained how it propagated so quickly.

Stantonol, he’d have to call it. After figuring out with a way to deal with it, of course.

Now, truth be told, he wasn’t a biologist. But he _was_ a chemist, at least, a self-taught one. Perhaps that was why Beverly hadn’t been able to formulate a treatment before the effects got to her. She was looking at it from a medical perspective, instead of a chemical one.

Of course, it was tedious. The main problem he was facing was puzzling out a way to neutralize the Stantonol in the infected without harming the infected themselves. Anybody else would just wait for it to wear off, but this was a chemical being produced _by_ the body, it wasn’t going to wear off on its own.

Looking at the substance under a microscope, however, he found something floating around with the chemical. And then it hit him.

“Oh, son of a _bitch_.” Rick cursed.

It wasn’t just some souped-up version of alcohol; it was venom. And Godzilla had been fighting a snake kaiju.

Beverly was an _idiot_. Then again, she was drunk, so he couldn’t really blame her on that front. But that still did leave the problem. He wasn’t sure they had the proper antivenom for a _giant snake_ on-hand.

“Come on, Rick, think!” He willed himself, pacing back and forth. There had to be some way to counter the effects, somehow. A way to neutralize the venom. “Goddammit, why did the others have to go get drunk and me remain perfectly lucid?”

His eyes shot to dinner plate size as he realized something. He was the _only_ one left standing for a reason. And, furthermore, he was perfectly sober. He knew that feeling.

He _hated_ being sober. Life sucked sober.

Operating on a hunch, he drew some blood, and observed it. His eyes furrowed, observing what he saw, and he knew he had to run another test. Taking a sample of sweat from Beverly, and some Ethanol from one of the cabinets, he combined the two, and watched.

The strange venom was latching onto and reacting with the Ethanol. The venom’s active chemical, the one causing all these effects, essentially slammed into the Ethanol. In the process, the molecules of _both_ substances broke down, becoming harmless water, with just a few teeny carbon atoms floating around as a byproduct. All things that could be harmlessly extruded or absorbed by the human body.

Rick should’ve shouted ‘eureka’ or ‘excelsior’ or something along those lines, but only one thought crossed his troubled mind.

He was going to have to use his stashes for this.

\-----------

“There.” Mothra growled, landing and depositing El carefully on the ground. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’re going to sit there and calm down while I send for your mother.”

El huffed, crossing her arms, turning away from Mothra. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Good, because I’m not going to accept it.” Mothra looked up to the volcano. “Rodan! Tell Godzilla to send Madison into the base for El’s mother please!”

“Yeah, no can do, boss!” Rodan replied. “He and Maddie are having a… moment.”

Mothra tilted her head in confusion. “What sort of moment?”

“I believe she’s trying and failing to court him.” Rodan offered, turning to look. “She’s gone from ‘tearful babbling’ to… very thinly-veiled flirting attempts.” He shivered in disgust. “Ugh, such disgusting, tiny hairless apes. Although… this will make for _prime_ blackmail material once this is done.”

“You’re not blackmailing anyone, that’s an order!” Mothra commanded. An alarm sounded from Castle Bravo, pulling her attention to the steel construct on the edge of the island. “What in the blazes is going on!?”

\----------

“Alright ladies and gents, step right up!” Rick bellowed like a carnie, handing out bottles of tequila, bourbon, vodka, wine, and any other drink that had even a smidgen of ethanol in it. True to his fears, he had to pull bottles out of every last one of his secluded stashes, handing them out.

“Don’t be shy folks, we’re all friends around here!” Rick paced around, handing a whiskey to Joyce, a Crown Royal to be shared between Serizawa and Vivienne, Jack Daniels to Barnes, and much more as he worked his way through the base.

“Come on, don’t be a stick in the mud!” Rick said, “Pop it open, have some fun!”

Slowly, very slowly, he worked his way through the base. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for the effects to wear off, if he was right (which, of course, he was. He was Rick Fucking Stanton, son.), but was soon rewarded by Vivienne’s eyes suddenly bugging out first as she suddenly returned to lucidity again.

Serizawa was not long after her, and his face froze, his mouth slowly dropping, as he tried to find words.

“I’m only,” Vivienne held up her hand, face pink, “Going to say this once. It didn’t happen.”

“Valid.”

\-----------

“Ngh…” Mark groaned on the floor, rubbing his bruised face. “What in the hell?”

Ilene winced, slowly moving to help him up. “If it’s any consolation… you _did_ deserve it.”

Mark flinched. “Just… put your name on the food if it’s yours, okay? I don’t want you going all ‘Bruce Lee’ on me again.”

Ilene snorted. “Please. Bruce Lee _wishes_ he had my skills.”

\----------

El had been sitting there, playing with the sand absent-mindedly, when a bottle was placed on the ground next to here.

“Here kid, drink this.” Rick ordered, before walking into the woods. “And don’t tell your mom I gave it to you!”

El blinked in confusion, before shrugging, taking down the contents of the bottle with ease.

\-----------

“Alright…” Rick came to a stop in front of Godzilla and Maddie. “Oh come on, what the fuck?”

Maddie was on top of Godzilla, desperately trying to get him to kiss her, while Godzilla was totally out of it.

“She’s been trying to do that for the past hour.” Mothra remarked, appearing next to him, speaking perfect English despite the lack of a human mouth.

Rodan squawked something from the top of his volcano, and Rick looked to Mothra. “What’d he say?”

“He said they’re being annoying pests and interfering with his rest.” Mothra relayed, shaking her head. “What’s gotten into them, I wonder?”

“There’s a snake venom causing people to act drunk and their sweat to get other people drunk.” Rick quickly explained.

Mothra blinked, at a loss for words for a few scant moments. “I… see. Am I to assume this is the same venom from the creature we fought in Africa?”

“Probably.” Rick shrugged. He did a double take, looking at her. “Hey, that’s a good point. Why haven’t _you_ guys gotten drunk?”

“We do not sweat as easily as humans, under any circumstances.” Mothra explained. “It’s probable that Godzilla merely absorbed it through his skin, and the remaining amount on his exterior caused young Madison to become the carrier on the human side.”

“Makes sense…” Rick looked to Godzilla. “Shit. I had a plan for Maddie, but how the hell am I going to get Godzilla to drink enough to counter the effects?”

Mothra cocked her head. “You wish to solve the problem of people getting intoxicated by getting them more intoxicated?”

“It’s not getting them more drunk, it’s using chemical reactivity to our advantage.” Rick replied.

“Oh, I understand.” Mothra nodded. “Well, fret not. Allow me a small sample of that liquid, and I can perform the rest.”

Rick frowned but placed the comparatively microscopic bottle in Mothra’s titanic hands. She shattered it open, absorbing the liquid through her skin. “What’re you doing?”

“This is an organic compound, if I’m not mistaken.” Mothra replied. “I’m very good with those.”

Before Rick could ask what precisely Mothra meant, she took to the air, flapping her wings, on a direct course for Godzilla. She brought her tail up, and plunged it directly into Godzilla’s side, the enormous lizard letting out a pained screech.

“OW!” Godzilla roared. “YOU STABBED ME! WHAT IS WRONG WITH- ooohhhhhhh…” He suddenly groaned, shaking his head, as Mothra landed on his back, reaching down for Maddie, before pricking her with a tiny needle on her awfully precise hand, before taking off yet again.

“Ow…” Maddie muttered, rubbing her side where the pencil tip-sized needle poked her. “Wait… what?”

“God, my head…” Godzilla groaned. “I think I’m going to be sick…” His stomach rumbled unpleasantly, and his hands moved to cover it. “Did I break into the Mountain Dew factory? I seem to remember a lot of green stuff… and corndogs, I don’t know…”

“Oh, I think I’m gonna be sick…” Maddie’s face twisted, before she began rubbing at her face. “Did… Did I try to bite you?” She inquired, noting the pain in her jaw, and the mark on his scales.

Godzilla shook off his disorientation, looking down. “Rick… what are you doing out here?”

Rick looked to Mothra for a translation, and once he received it, replied: “Oh you know, saving all of you people’s bacon, again. Alright, my work here is done.” He satisfactorily turned away, walking back to the base.

Godzilla and Maddie blinked, looking at each other in confusion.

\----------

“Mister Stanton,” Serizawa stood in the center of the command center, “We each owe you thanks for rectifying this… unusual situation.”

Rick self-satisfactorily snorted, kicking his feet up. “Yeah. It wasn’t like you guys were going to be able to do anything.”

“Nevertheless.” Vivienne stepped forward, holding a bottle of scotch. “Thank you.” She held the bottle out to him. “Here. So you can start rebuilding your stashes.”

“Heh, thanks.” Rick chuckled. “I don’t know though… this entire situation has given me enough drunken antics for one lifetime.”

\-------------

“So…” Maddie sat on her bed in the cave, staring at the television.

“So.” Godzilla nodded.

“So.” Maddie repeated.

“…You know, I remember quite a bit, even the parts where I was drifting asleep uncontrollably.” Was what Godzilla led with, causing Maddie to become utterly _mortified_.

“D-Did you?” Maddie squeaked.

Godzilla let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, “Oh yeah.”

“E-even the part where-?”

“Even the part where you said you loved me so much it hurt.” Godzilla replied.

“Oh, god…” Maddie covered her face. “Y-You know, people say things when they’re drunk, and-“

“Relax.” He gently told her, before smiling gently. “I love you too, Mads.”

Maddie’s tension increased to the point where Godzilla was worried she’d lock up entirely, before it suddenly all melted away, and Maddie relaxed, smiling.

“Great.” Maddie smiled. “Then that means you’ll have no problems being the one to explain to my dad why we all got drunk to begin with.”

“Wait, what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	21. Defiant, Part One

_United States Military Experimental Development Facility, location unknown…_

Deep within the winding corridors of the experimental development facility, scientists, engineers, and workers all went about their assigned duties. It was facilities like this that were responsible for things like Reagan’s Star Wars program, new and experimental aircraft, reverse engineered technology recovered from the enemy, that sort of thing.

In one of this facility’s development bays rested a most unusual craft. A submarine, unlike any other seen before. It was unusual for the fact that, unlike most submarines, it was not the long ovoid shape of its brethren, but rather, something more like a stealth bomber. And, in addition, instead of the typical propellers, it utilized rocket-like engines arranged in a cluster at its aft.

This was the military’s latest development. The Super X Project. Originally proposed as a new type of submarine to be used in the event of a full-on war with Russia, the project was laughed out of the room… Until Ghidorah’s attack caught them all off-guard, and Biollante destroyed an entire fleet single-handedly.

So, development on Super X went ahead, full steam, at a rate never before seen. In but a few months, the ship went from being theoretical, to having design documents, to being completed. If another Kaiju attacked, they would be ready.

However… at the moment, there was a very real, very human vulnerability in the new ship. More specifically, the fact that it was night at the moment, and thus, very few guards on duty.

Why, anyone who was authorized could enter the ship, and while it may have certainly _looked_ suspicious, bring along a few people as well.

Thus, under the cover of night, faster than the guards on duty could conceivably react, a team of ten broke into the prototype craft with a speed and swiftness indicative of just how long they’d been planning the act.

Doing a quick sweep of the corridors of the ship, the group of ten broke off into two, five heading to the engine room, the other five heading to the bridge.

Upon arrival, the people broke apart, and assumed control of all the stations. Even the group’s leader, a man perhaps in his sixties, took seat in the Captain’s Chair. Everything was ready for the vessel’s formal commissioning tomorrow, even a dedication plaque commemorating the first of this new class of ship, and those valiant ships whose wrecks were salvaged to provide the materials for it.

“’All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by…’ Poetic.” He commented, turning to look at his underlings.

“Sir, engine room reports ready.” The woman at the helm spoke over her shoulder.

“Excellent.” The man shifted in his new chair, making himself comfortable. “Take us out of here, fast as you can.”

The woman nodded, setting the controls, pressing the throttle forward as far as she could. Alarms began to sound as the night crew noticed finally what was going down, and the patrolling ships in the bay scrambled to cut off the escaping craft at the pass.

The leader smugly smiled, snorting, as his commandeered craft began to submerge, outrunning the large, unwieldy vessels above. Before long, the ship was into open water, and submerged completely, leaving the development facility, and a stirred hornet’s nest, behind.

\----------

As usual, things in Castle Bravo proceeded without fanfare or ceremony. The people in the base went about their normal business, keeping a lookout for any new Kaiju popping up on the base’s radar, while they waited for the tedium of the day to pass them by.

“Alright folks!” Rick boisterously strutted into the command center. “I got your coffee! Come get your coffee! It’s not as strong as methamphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!”

Most would ask why anyone, especially someone as smart as Rick, would be so happy to be the gopher, but on days like this, he’d take _anything_ as a distraction from the tedium. They _all_ hated slow days like this. Not like they particularly wanted a monster to attack, but it was just so mind-numbingly boring.

“Thanks, Rick.” Ilene said, taking a cup.

“So,” Rick went back to his seat, kicking his feet up as he poured something from a hip flask into his coffee, “What’s the big guy doing today?”

“Nothing,” Mark rubbed his face frustratedly. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Hey, be happy, dude.” Rick told him. “Days like this, it’s free money!” He glanced down at his coffee cup, pouring in more of the contents of his flask.

The door to Serizawa’s office opened, the man anxiously straightening his tie and suit, making himself look presentable in one of the dark screens on the wall.

Mark looked upon the sight curiously. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Yeah, did Graham’s mother finally find out about the Stantonol intox-“ Rick was cut off, suddenly having to duck as Vivienne threw her coffee at him.

“I just received a call from General Stenz. The military is sending someone to come speak with us about ‘an important matter.’” Serizawa relayed.

Ilene raised her eyebrows. “The military? What do they want?”

“I am uncertain.” Serizawa replied. “But evidently, it is important. They’re on their way now.”

Mark frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. “If it was another Kaiju, they’d just tell us, wouldn’t they?”

“Yes.” Serizawa answered. He too, wondered what it was all about. When Mothra first appeared, and when Rodan clawed his way out of his volcano, the military alerted Monarch before anybody else. It was obviously something different this time.

But what?

\------------

With Vivienne by his side, Serizawa walked out to the landing pad, intent on greeting the arrivals in person. An MH-53 helicopter descended from the sky, touching down as gently as it could on the landing pad, before the rotors wound down, and three people stepped out of the back.

Serizawa tilted his head curiously. He recognized Stenz, but not the other two. One was a balding man, more obviously a scientific type than a military type. The other person, the black woman, was buzzcut, obviously the more military one, wearing a Navy uniform.

“Doctor Serizawa.” Stenz approached first.

“General Stenz.” Serizawa returned, shaking the man’s hand respectfully. “We weren’t expecting a visit on such short notice.”

“Yes, well,” The man tugged his uniform’s shirt. “It’s, um, rather a _sensitive_ matter, and we felt it’d be best to brief you on the situation in person.”

“Situation?” Vivienne repeated. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll get to that.” Stenz resolved. “This is Doctor Lewis Zimmerman,” He gestured to the balding man, who bowed slightly, before turning to the woman at his side, “And Captain Diane Foster. And we have a mission for you.”

\-------------

“This,” Stenz said to the assembled crowd, a photograph of what looked like a stealth bomber resting on top of the water on a projector, “Is the US Navy’s latest prototype ship. USS Defiant.”

The image earned a sarcastic whistle from Rick. “Damn. We having to spy on the Russkies in the oceans now?”

Zimmerman stood confidently, turning his head up. “If you _must_ know, that was _Defiant’s original_ purpose, but our priorities have… shifted since then.”

Mark frowned suspiciously. “Shifted?”

Stenz sighed, evidently having predicted, but hoping against the information coming out. “Our engineers retrofitted the project as an ‘anti-Kaiju’ warship.”

“’Anti-Kaiju?’” Serizawa dangerously repeated, his opinion on the mere idea clear.

“Look, Doctor, I respect that you and your team hold the belief that these creatures are merely animals.” Foster began. “But these are animals that can destroy _cities_. The public wants something, _anything_ , to reassure them that they’re safe. _Defiant’s_ that reassurance.”

Ilene glanced at the others, holding up a finger, before directing it to Foster. “Who’s she?”

 _“Captain_ Diane Foster.” The woman stood tall, proud. The way she carried herself outwardly signaled that she’d worked hard to get to where she was and wasn’t about to take anything from anybody because of it. “I was selected as _Defiant’s_ CO.”

“Great, but,” Vivienne blinked, “I still don’t understand what this has to do with _us._ ”

Stenz nodded and moved to get the conversation back on track. “ _Defiant’s_ commissioning ceremony was scheduled for today.”

“Wait, let me guess…” Rick began. “Boston. The President flew out there yesterday, I was wondering why.”

Stenz nodded. “More or less. However, at 0200 hours this morning, _Defiant_ was stolen.”

The Monarch personnel blinked, looking at each other.

“Stolen?” Mark repeated incredulously. “A military prototype is just _stolen_ on the day of its commissioning ceremony.”

“We believe this man,” Foster gestured to the projection, the slide changing to a man in his sixties, hair white with age, and face steely from time. “Is the responsible party. Alan Jonah. He was the chief of security on the project.”

“Which means he could take in a team of people to help him take it out of there without arousing _too_ much suspicion.” Mark nodded in understanding. “But, like Vivienne said, I still don’t understand how _we_ fit in.”

Zimmerman took the floor, clicking through the sides until he stopped at an engine diagram, some parts blacked out to obviously preserve military secrets. _“Defiant_ uses a new type of engine system, more akin to rocket propulsion than the standard drive systems on other military seacraft. Thus, when submerged, _Defiant_ is capable of achieving speeds as much as thirty-five knots, perhaps more, if the engines are pushed into the red zone.”

“Jesus…” Rick muttered. “And what do you expect _us_ to do about it?”

“Simple.” Zimmerman began in reply. “Your observations of Godzilla have shown he is capable of reaching speeds of forty knots, is that right?”

The Monarch scientists all looked at each other, slowly nodding. “Right…”

“We want to send Godzilla after the _Defiant._ ” Stenz outlined. “We’re keeping track of it, but the only issue is that none of our ships are fast enough to catch up, and _Defiant’s_ nimble enough to evade them. But if we sent in Godzilla…”

“Even against something with rocket-propulsion, Godzilla’s still the fastest thing in the water.” Mark nodded, following along. “So, we send him in, he takes the ship out, everything’s all good.”

“No!” Zimmerman practically jumped up. “Not a single hair is to be harmed on _Defiant’s_ proverbial head!”

Stenz shook his head but spoke up in agreement. “ _Defiant_ is one of the most expensive pieces of military technology we’ve ever produced. Godzilla’s objective is to force _Defiant_ to surface, not destroy it.”

Rick shook his head, leaning back. “He’s not gonna be happy about this…”

\-----------

“Are you kidding me!?” Godzilla bellowed. “That sounds awesome! A rocket-powered submarine that looks like a B-2! It’s like _Red October_ on steroids!”

“Yeah, but _unlike Red October,_ it was made to _kill you!”_ Maddie hissed, looking up to Godzilla’s head.

“So was Ghidorah.” Godzilla retorted.

“And Ghidorah almost succeeded!”

Godzilla rolled his eyes. “And all I have to do is force it to surface, or disable its engines?”

Maddie sighed, shaking her head, turning to Serizawa to relay the message. Call him paranoid, but he didn’t want the military knowing about Maddie and Godzilla’s connection.

“Yes.” Serizawa nodded. “The Navy is tracking it through the Atlantic. They believe the _Defiant’s_ going to sail around the tip of South America and proceed towards Russia.”

Godzilla blinked. “Russia? These guys are Russians?”

Serizawa turned to Maddie, with a curious eyebrow.

Maddie sighed. It was cool, but she really hated playing translator some days. “They guys who stole it are Russian?”

“Not necessarily.” Serizawa was finally able to answer. “But the people in charge of the theft wouldn’t have any other recourse. Will you be able to track down the ship in time?”

Godzilla nodded, standing proudly as he marched to the water. “Yep. Hearing’s second-to-none. All I have to do is listen for the sound of rocket engines, and I’ll be after them like a shark after blood in the water.”

“Hey, G?” Maddie called up, causing him to stop and turn. She gestured for him to bend down, and she placed a small, gentle peck to the tip of his snout. “Be safe. Don’t take stupid risks.”

Godzilla blinked, surprised at the gesture, but stood back up, nodding accommodatingly. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you the play-by-play if you want.” He offered, turning to wade into the water. “Be back soon!”

Maddie sighed, looking to Serizawa. “Now what?”

“The military is helping us coordinate.” Serizawa replied. “Come, you can listen in. And relay information to Gojira, should he need it.”

“Will they let me in there?” Maddie inquired.

“Keep your head low, your tongue silent, and you should be just fine. Besides, the military is on _our_ time, not the other way around.”

Maddie’s features were split at that moment by a smug, troublemaking smile. “So… we get to order around the military because we’re letting them use Godzilla to solve their problem?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Radical.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	22. Defiant, Part Two

“Godzilla is underway.” Serizawa reported, entering the command center from where this little operation was being coordinated.

“Excellent,” Stenz nodded in approval, “How long can we expect him to take?”

“Shouldn’t be too much longer.” Rick replied. “The rate he’s moving, he’ll intercept them in a few minutes. God,” He giddily chuckled. “What I wouldn’t give to see the look on their faces when he catches up to them.”

\-----------

Jonah sat in the seat on the bridge, sitting in smugness, enjoying his victory immensely. Perhaps the most powerful warship the United States had ever developed, and he and his team had stolen it like the keys were left in the ignition. Thus, to celebrate their victory, he procured the bottle of champagne that was _meant_ to be broken across the bow in the christening ceremony and popped it open.

“My friends,” Jonah began, pontificating over nothing, despite the issue that they weren’t _quite_ in the clear just yet. “Here’s to the greatest heist ever performed, and those who made it possible.”

The other four in the room with him nodded in agreement, clapping, before an alarm began to sound from one of the control panels.

“What is it, Asher?” Jonah inquired, as the man looked.

“Sir, we’ve got a bogey on a five o’clock tangent!”

“What is this, World War II?” Jonah asked to absolutely no laughs. He sighed, shaking his head. “What damn ship is it this time?”

“I don’t know, sir.” A different person, Sonya, replied. “It’s not sending out an IFF signal.”

The deck plating suddenly rumbled, _Defiant_ shaking with the force of a tsunami, as something collided with it.

“What just hit us!?” Jonah furiously demanded.

“T-The bogey, sir, it’s already here!” Asher informed. “It’s coming around to the front!”

At that, all eyes focused on the transparent viewport, and they looked out, in curiousness, then in terror, as something flashed blue, a titanic shadow being cast in the water.

“God…” Sonya muttered, staring out in soul-clutching fear.

“Dive.” Jonah ordered, looking to Merryweather in the helm seat.

“What?”

“Dive!” Jonah bellowed, and the woman flew into action. The diving alarms sounded as the _Defiant_ suddenly lurched, sinking further into the depths.

\-------------

The _Defiant_ tipped forward like it was top-heavy, engines glowing a hot orange as it zipped past Godzilla, churning and disturbing the water.

 _“Okay, you’re a pretty cool ship, but I don’t think I can let you get away.”_ Godzilla commented semi-to-himself, as he charged after the _Defiant_.

If the objective was to _destroy_ the ship, he could’ve just blasted the engines and watched as it went up in flames, but no, the military wanted it intact. He couldn’t blame them, it really was a cool ship, just going on the exterior design alone.

But damnit, the military just _loved_ making his life difficult.

\----------

The ship lurched, leveling out as it passed by, rumbling as Godzilla stirred the water.

“He’s catching up!” Asher looked at the radar in alarm.

“Merryweather, get us out of here!” Jonah ordered.

“I’m _trying_ , the engines are already at full!”

The _Defiant_ rumbled as Godzilla took a swipe, causing the ship to sway and tilt uncontrollably. It kept its present course, however.

“Well then, time to show him our teeth.” Jonah growled. “Fire a torpedo at him!”

Dalton at the weapons looked at him, concerned. “Sir!?”

“You heard me!” Jonah replied. “Godzilla is _tough_ , but he’s not invincible. Fire a torpedo at his gills.”

Dalton looked disbelieving but obeyed. “Yes sir, firing torpedo.”

\-----------

Godzilla got a big grin on his monstrous face, as he began to close the distance between him and the ship. All he had to do was crush the engine nozzles, then the ship would be forced to surface, his work would be done, then he could go back to his planned day with Maddie.

Instead, the _Defiant_ had a different plan.

The enormous mutant noticed a small, metal iris opening on one of the vessel’s rear fins, before a rocket shot out. Godzilla’s eyes widened as he saw the rocket-like shape but couldn’t do much to dodge it.

He may have had decent reflexes, but he was _big_.

The rocket struck him in the neck, and Godzilla recoiled like the wind had been punched out of him, the agonizing fire sensation spreading throughout him at lightspeed.

Godzilla painfully roared, as the _Defiant_ sped sway, its pursuer stunned for the moment.

\-----------

“Excellent shot!” Jonah complimented as Godzilla’s radar blip stopped, as _Defiant_ pushed forward.

Asher looked at the radar, double taking, as Godzilla began to move again, a furious bellow rumbling through the water. “Sir, he’s catching back up!”

“Hmm…” Jonah sat down in the empty chair, entirely calm. “Perhaps it’s time we test out some more of _Defiant’s_ capabilities.”

\-----------

Godzilla swam, the water behind him churning furiously as he swam to catch up. He may have found the ship cool, but the time for games was over.

Up ahead, the _Defiant’s_ nose began to tilt up, and Godzilla briefly wondered if he had succeeded in getting the crew of the ship to surrender. A more rational part immediately shut that down. They’d succeeded in hurting him, why would they surrender now?

He got his answer when the engines on the craft suddenly began to glow blue-hot, speeding up ever faster as it charged to the surface.

 _“No…_ ” Godzilla muttered to himself. _“No way. They’re not actually-“_

Godzilla had to surface, now. If they were about to do what he thought they were about to do, there was _no_ way he could stop them. Better to cut them off at the pass and apologize to the military for breaking their shiny new toy later.

Godzilla surfaced first, watching the shadow move across the water as he charged his atomic breath. Soon after, the _Defiant_ broke the surface, shooting up from the water like a bullet. Godzilla let it rip, trying to shoot down the vessel, but it was _fast_ , moving too fast for his breath to strike in time.

And, it was in that moment Godzilla realized why _Defiant_ looked like a plane. It was designed to fly. He readjusted his breath, firing yet again, to no success as the _Defiant_ climbed higher and higher, disappearing into the clouds.

_“Okay, that ship’s gone from being cool to annoying.”_

\-----------

The entire craft rumbled, the inhabitants being shaken up like a spraypaint can, before the _Defiant_ leveled out, and the ship stabilized.

Jonah walked over to the radar, looking as Godzilla faded into nothing with a smug smile.

Nothing could stop them now.

\-----------

“It flies!?” Mark demanded, upon seeing the satellite feed, summing up the thoughts of everybody present. “Why didn’t you tell us the goddamn thing could fly!?”

“W-Well, we thought,” Zimmerman ineffectually stammered at first, “Well, we _hoped_ that Godzilla would be able to disable it before Jonah and his men found the flight settings.”

“Oh, well that makes it all fine and dandy then!” Mark sarcastically retorted. “At least now, you can shoot the thing down and call it a day!”

“No!” Zimmerman vehemently retorted. “We want _Defiant_ intact! If we take its engines out now, Jonah will just likely force it to crash and burn!”

“Well, what do you suggest we do, buddy!?” Mark pressed, throwing up his hands. “So far, I’ve only heard indignant squeaking, I would _love_ to hear some actual suggestions!”

“Hm…” Serizawa frowned in contemplation. “If we get someone up to the ship, do you think they’d be able to land it?”

“It shouldn’t be too much different than making a water landing in a normal aircraft.” Foster replied. “Why?”

\------------

“How long until we make landfall?” Jonah asked, looking sternly at the front of the cockpit of his new ship.

“Thirty minutes, sir.” Merryweather replied.

“Good.” Jonah nodded, leaning back. Once they could get the ship delivered to their ‘friends,’ they were home free.

“Sir!” Asher shouted in alarm. “I’ve got… uh… I’ve got _something_ approaching us from behind, closing in at high speed!”

Jonah looked to the man, demanding. “What do you mean ‘something?’”

\---------

Mothra’s wings kicked up massive amounts of air as she tore behind the _Defiant,_ carrying two brave souls on her back. In order to get the ship to land, someone with flying experience would have to take it down, which meant they needed someone to escort them.

Thus, despite Joyce’s best resistance, El and Barnes had been chosen for the job. The girl was understandably reluctant, but after being told that the _Defiant_ was dangerous and a lot of people could get hurt, she gladly jumped at the chance, but Joyce made it clear:

This was a one-time thing ONLY. And, there was no way the military was being told. They would lie and say they’re just sending in Barnes and Mothra, that was it.

Fortunately, the military acquiesced without a hitch.

Zimmerman explained that _Defiant_ had an access hatch on the dorsal part of the ship that could be used to get inside. Mothra would take the humans up, allow them access, and then distract the _Defiant_ from the outside, buying them time.

“Alright, kid!” Barnes shouted over the roaring wind, as Mothra got as close as she could to _Defiant_ without knocking it out of the sky. “Ready!?”

“No!” El looked down and squeaked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go first!” Barnes took a deep breath, jumping down to the metal paneling below. “Alright, now you!”

El wrenched her eyes shut and yelped, jumping down after him. She landed next to him, the man helping her up with a steady hand.

“Alright,” Barnes looked around. Finding the dorsal hatch, he carefully pulled himself along, thankful that Mothra was shielding them to prevent them from being blown off. He turned the wheel, pulling the hatch up, “Alright, kid, this is it! You sure you wanna be a part of this!?”

El resolutely nodded. “They’re bad people. They have to be stopped.”

“Alright!” Barnes replied, “Going down!” He jumped in first.

El jumped in after him, and the hatch swung closed.

Two against ten to take an entire ship back. Tough odds… but not impossible, given the capabilities of one.

It was down to them, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	23. Defiant, Part Three

_Defiant_ rocked as, with a desperation and calculating intent, Mothra slammed onto the top of the ship.

On the bridge of the craft, alarms sounded, blaring and distracting the crew.

“Shut that damned noise off!” Jonah bellowed. “Get us away from that thing!”

“I’m trying, sir!” Merryweather called back. “It’s catching up to us faster than we can outrun it!”

“Then go faster!” Jonah snarled.

“The engines are already in the red, I can’t tell for sure how much longer-“

“Sir!” Asher shouted, looking up. “ _Defiant’s_ registering perimeter access!”

“An intruder…” Jonah growled. “Where?”

\------------

El climbed down the ladder after Barnes, shutting the hatch as they came into a cramped, cylindrical room. “What is this place?”

“Airlock.” Barnes explained. “Probably for diving ops.”

El didn’t really understand why air would need to be locked, and what that had to do with swimming, but nodded anyway.

Machinery whirred, before the green lights lining the hatch on the ceiling turned red, and the red lights on the door on the wall switched to green, allowing them into the corridor.

“HEY!” A man snarled, pointing his gun into the room.

El was quick to react, turning her head, snapping the man’s neck with just a thought, well before he could fire his weapon. It had been a long time since she’d killed anyone, and it wasn’t something she particularly wanted to be doing, but as the others explained, what was going on could start a war, and then way, way more than a few people would die in the process. So, it was something she had to put up with. For now.

Truthfully speaking, she was worried about people finding out about what she could do, but Godzilla shut that down real quick. If anyone tried taking her, he, Maddie, and Mothra (god only knows if they could get Rodan pulled into it, the lazy fuck) would tear down the entire government to get her back, and even then, probably would just keep on in order to teach people a lesson.

“Damn,” Barnes blinked. “Remind me never to piss you off. Okay,” He reached into a pocket of his gear, pulling out a folded-up, sheet of paper, a schematic of the _Defiant’s_ interior layout. “We’re here,” He pointed to the airlock on the map. “If we’re facing this way,” He faced the door, “Then the engine room should be…” He turned to his left, pointing behind El. “That way.”

“Engine room?” The girl tilted her head. “Thought we had to find a bridge?”

“ _The_ bridge.” Barnes patiently corrected, taking the lead. “And we’ve gotta find the engine room first if we don’t want these guys turning the ship off or blowing it up while we’re trying to land it.”

El nodded in understanding, and let Barnes take the lead, as they went down to the engine room.

\-----------

“Evasive maneuvers!” Jonah ordered, holding onto the arms of his chair for dear life as Mothra danced around them, rocking the ship like it was a mere boat in the water. “Shoot that thing out of the sky!”

“Is it a giant _moth!?”_ Dalton hysterically screamed.

“I understand you have a fear of bugs but stow it!” Jonah bellowed. “Fire torpedoes!”

“Yes sir!” Dalton squeaked, hitting the button. The two missiles lanced out, but Mothra was quick to react, darting out of the way as the torpedoes buzzed her, plunging to the ground below.

“Sir!” Asher shouted, looking at a monitor next to the radar. “The intruders took down Berman! They’re heading to the engine room!”

Jonah was on his feet in an instant, growling as he stormed over to the monitor, looking at the two moving. “IT’S ONE MAN AND A TEENAGE GIRL!” He snarled, snatching Asher’s radio away. He held down the button, speaking into the mic. “Harley, you have two people heading your way. I want them dead, is that clear?”

\----------

“Yes, sir.” Harley replied, looking to his comrades. “Alright, everyone, weapons on that point.” He pointed to the one entrance and exit from the engineering room, a door that had to be opened manually. It was a bottleneck, an absolute killing ground, and for people with automatic weapons, an easy target.

The four men in the engine room raised their weapons, MP5s, and kept them trained on the door.

The wheel began to turn.

\--------

Jonah stood next to Asher, watching, as the group of four stood ready to kill.

\-------

“As soon as that door opens…” Harley quietly whispered, but still loud enough to be heard. “Let them have it.”

The wheel stopped turning, the door creaking, as the men kept their fingers just on the triggers.

Suddenly, a thunderous bang rocked the ship, as the door was thrown off its hinges, slamming into Harley, and flattening him into a bloody pulp.

“OPEN FIRE!” One of the others bellowed, squeezing the trigger on his gun.

Like a hellish chainsaw, each one of the MP5s began to spit out lead, all directed to the door. As the men stood, firing into the smokey opening, one held up his fist, signaling the other two to stop.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing El standing on the other side. She’d waited for them to stop before placing herself at the threshold of the door.

The new leader raised his weapon, but with a tilt of her head, the guns of each man were yanked out of their hands, sliding across the floor to the girl’s feet. Each one cracked and crunched, metal warping as the weapons were crushed like tin cans.

Each gun took on a spikey sharpness, warped beyond any other usefulness, and El angrily tilted her head again, each one of the three new spikes shooting forward like bullets to pierce each man in the heart.

Barnes slowly approached from the side, looking at the carnage with a mix of awe and terror. “Jesus.”

\----------

“Jesus…” Asher breathed as well, looking upon the sight with horror.

“He had nothing to do with this.” Jonah muttered with narrowed eyes as he looked at the camera feed. Four… well, five counting Berman, of his best men killed in seconds without a single finger having to be laid on them. He looked to Asher. “Give me your gun.”

“Sir?” The man asked back.

“I’m going to slow them down.” Jonah stated. “Now, your gun.”

Asher reluctantly nodded, handing Jonah his gun.

Jonah looked it over. “Thank you.” He replied.

Then, before any of the others could react, Jonah fired a burst of shots into Asher’s chest, doing the same for Dalton, before he pointed it at poor Merryweather.

“S-Sir?” The woman fearfully stuttered.

“Relax, Merryweather.” Jonah calmly muttered, waggling the gun in her direction. “I won’t fire unless you force me to.”

“B-But you told Asher you were going to slow them down.”

“A necessary lie. He wouldn’t have gone with me if I told him what I really was doing.” Jonah glanced at the flight controls. “I assume this thing has an autopilot?”

“Th-That would be right, sir.” Merryweather nodded, fearful for her life. It was one thing to fight the enemy, another for your own leader to point a gun at you.

“Good.” Jonah gestured. “Put it on.”

“I-I can’t do that, sir.” Merryweather stuttered. “How do I know you won’t kill me?”

“Easy. You’ve always been loyal, Merryweather. Asher and Dalton, they had reservations about this plan from the start.” Jonah replied. “But not you. In truth, it was always you, by my side, the most loyal of all who worked with me. In many respects… you’ve shown me what it is like to have a daughter.”

Merryweather swallowed, turning back around slowly, hitting the button. “Autopilot engaged.”

“Good.” Jonah lowered the weapon. “Now, come. Time to abandon ship.”

\-----------

As El and Barnes sprinted their way back through the corridors of the _Defiant,_ Jonah and Merryweather fled through a corridor out of the other two’s way, occupying a lifeboat tucked out of the way. The lifeboat, like the _Defiant_ itself, was designed to be used both underwater and in the air, so when it ejected, a parachute deployed, taking it down from the ship.

Now, it was down to just El and Barnes.

\----------

“Damn!” Barnes remarked, looking upon the inside of the bridge in disgust. “Looks like we’re late to the party!”

El looked around, confused, and a bit sick. “I don’t understand… no party decorations.”

“It’s an expression, kid.” Barnes told her, taking the lead. “Right, where’s the stick on this thing?”

“That looks important.” El pointed to the very front of the bridge, the tapering point with a recessed seat in the floor.

“Yep, that’s it alright.” Barnes lowered himself into the seat, whistling as he looked the controls over. “Damn. Wouldn’t mind being the lucky bastard who gets to fly this bad girl full-time.”

El frowned, tilting her head. “Bastard?”

Barnes glanced at her, looking back. “Guess your mom ain’t the type to use the sailor’s dictionary. Alright, kiddo, find yourself a seat and buckle up. Don’t know how bumpy this is gonna get.” He said.

El nodded, getting into the big chair freely standing on a swivel joint, and buckled up, but something about Barnes’s tone bugged her. “I thought you could pilot.”

“Not somethin’ this big.” Barnes replied, taking it off autopilot. “And it’s rocket-powered. Totally different kind of flying.” He calmly explained, keeping calm more for her benefit than his, as he tilted the stick, bringing the ship around.

\----------

“ _Defiant’s_ changing course.” Zimmerman relayed from the satellites keeping track on the craft. “Away from the Russian mainland back to open waters.”

The assembled let out a relieved sigh, most taking it as the sign that Barnes had succeeded.

Foster’s eyebrows shot up. “Damn. Guy took out ten guys all on his own? Not bad.”

Serizawa looked wary for a moment. “That does not necessarily mean he has succeeded.”

“Guys,” Rick looked up from his station, where he was holding a headset to his ear. “We’re getting a transmission from the _Defiant.”_

Serizawa sighed. “I stand corrected. Put it on loudspeaker, please.”

 _“People of Castle Bravo, you can HEEEEEEEAAAAR MEEEEEEE! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAW! You can’t stop the signal baby!_ ” Barnes theatrically he-hawed. _“This is ace pilot Jackson Barnes coming to you loud and proud from USS Defiant, hear me and obey!”_

Foster scowled. “Someone tell that idiot to shut up and land the ship already.”

Rick rolled his eyes but couldn’t deny that Barnes’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Alright, Wolfman Jack, cut it out and land the ship already. The crayon-eaters want their hands back on their fancy new toy.”

_“Aw, hell, I wanted to put her through her paces, she what she could do.”_

Rick looked at the stern, furious look on Foster’s face, and shook his head, “Nah, man. Not unless you want a P.O.ed Captain on your ass.”

Barnes sighed. _“Roger that. I’m gonna put her down not far from Bikini Atoll. Say, I wonder how far out Godzilla is?”_

Maddie, who had been sitting silently up to that point, picked up on the veiled order, and sent a message to Godzilla to get there before the military could. They’d need somebody to get El outta there, after all. Mothra _was_ a viable option, but the military was probably keeping a closer eye on her than the big guy.

Serizawa glanced at Maddie, before moving over to the mic. “I’m sure he’s around the general area. Good work, Mister Barnes. You’ve made us all very proud.”

 _“Don’t mention it, Doc.”_ Barnes replied. _“I’ll see you guys when I get back.”_

As the mood in the command center was light, Stenz stood stern, holding his chin in deep contemplation.

“General?” Serizawa looked to him.

“That was easy… far too easy.” Stenz muttered to himself. “But… any victory you can get, I suppose.” He looked to the man. “You and your people did good work today. On behalf of the United States Military, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I need some time off after all of this mess.”

Serizawa huffed to himself. He couldn’t argue with that.

\-----------

“So.” Godzilla sat down in the cave, looking to Maddie. “They drop in, order us around, we fix their problems, and they just give us a pat on the back and leave?”

“Yep.” Maddie replied, reading through her book.

Godzilla sighed, shaking his head. “This is why I hate the military… At least tell me something good came out of all of it, besides Barnes smashing the security tapes so they wouldn’t figure out about El.”

“Well, there is the _Defiant_.” Maddie replied. “I overheard Serizawa and Foster talking about it. It’s going to be posted here to help us fight any new monsters that pop up.”

Godzilla groaned, rolling his eyes. “Great, babysitters. But… I guess we could use it. God knows Rodan isn’t making any efforts to get involved.”

“Exactly!” Maddie smiled up at him. “See, there’s a silver-lining to every situation!”

“I guess.” Godzilla reluctantly granted.

Maddie looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. There was something else in his voice, something she couldn’t quite place. “Something wrong?”

“It’s just…” Godzilla frowned. “There’s still a lot that’s bugging me. Jonah getting away...”

“They said there was a ship waiting for him below.” Maddie explained.

“Convenient…” Godzilla muttered. “And how he and his people were able to steal the ship in the first place.”

“They said one of his people was in security.”

“He was a mercenary!” Godzilla replied. “That’s not something you miss during a background check! You know what… I’m willing to bet that someone hired him to steal the ship! Fed him all the info he’d need to do it!”

“G,” Maddie looked at him with dripping skepticism, “The only people who could tell him everything was someone on the _inside_ of the project. Now, why would someone on the inside hire someone to steal the ship and take it to Russia?”

“Maybe whoever it was was a Russian spy!”

“Okay. But if they were a spy, why not just send the info back to Russia themselves?” Maddie retorted. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“…No, no it doesn’t.” Godzilla sighed. “But I can’t help but shake the feeling that we were being played…”

\----------

In a small bar in Costa Rica, a nondescript man wearing a black suit, glasses, and a matching fedora, walked inside with purpose and determination, carrying a briefcase. Finding the lone, white-haired man sitting at a table, he strode over and sat down across from him.

“Mister Jonah,” He addressed, looking the man up and down, “I see you survived the mission no worse for wear.”

Jonah scowled. “No thanks to you, Zimmerman. _Eight_ of my best people dead, the last one too jumpy around me now to be of any good use. You told me all we’d have to worry about were the Navy and Air Force, not those… _things_.”

“I told you,” Zimmerman testily replied, “That the mission was a shakedown run the military was unwilling to perform. And knowing the kind of threats _Defiant_ was designed to combat, I assumed you’d be able to put the pieces together yourself.”

“Six of my people were slaughtered by something they couldn’t have predicted or fought back against!” Jonah snarled. “Don’t talk about assumptions!”

“Ah, yes… The ‘telekinetic.’”

Jonah dropped his drink, glaring. “Don’t condescend to me. I know what I saw.”

“Yes, the man who killed two of his own people in a psychotic rage and justified it by saying they were ‘going to crack’ knows perfectly well what he saw.” Zimmerman sarcastically replied. “Regardless of your mental state, however, you did complete the mission as you were tasked.” He placed the briefcase on the table. “As promised. Pleasure doing business with you.” He got to his feet, straightening his suit. “Until the next time.”

Jonah huffed, going back to his bottle, as he looked upon the briefcase. Eight of his best people dead…

The pay had better have been worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	24. A Very Freaky Day, Part One

Deep in Godzilla’s cave on Monster Island, the normal inhabitant of the place who called it home was sleeping soundly, enjoying yet another wonderful shared excursion with Maddie in dreamland, the only way the mutant lizard could do any of the things he used to be able to do when he had been human.

Tonight, however, was anything but normal. A lightning storm unlike any other passed high above, charging the air with strange, unnatural particles, unlike anything else on Earth. Perhaps it was some remnant of one of the battles fought long ago, perhaps there was some far-distant monster causing it and it just happened to drift over the island, or perhaps it was just a freak natural occurrence, no different than a solar flare or similar event.

Whatever the case, it was happening, and it could not be stopped.

Bolts of lighting lanced down from the clouds, cascading and striking the water in the ocean, charging the air with power. With each strike, the island was illuminated in flashes.

Even Godzilla’s den was not out of range.

A single bolt tinted a sickly lime green struck outside, before lancing back towards Godzilla, the natural power in his body acting as an attracting force pulling the lightning towards him. It danced up his dorsal spines, sparking and crackling with power.

The enormous lizard twitched, his face twisting only minutely at the disturbance. Even if he’d been conscious, it would have only registered as a small tingle, like a static charge in the air, and not the sudden burst and zap of most static shocks.

Soon, the electricity dissipated, and the storm passed…

But not without its aftereffects.

\------------

Consciousness slowly returned to Maddie as it normally did. The feeling of Dream-Godzilla holding her fearfully close as a goodbye passed all-too-quickly, the only reminder of the event being a ghostly sensation that faded just as fast, like the last events of a normal dream quickly fading from the mind.

This time, however, it was different.

The floor was rough and warm, not the soft, cozy underside of her blankets. She must’ve rolled out of bed again. Maddie groaned at her luck, and the faint aching that was sure to plague her for the rest of the day.

Maddie stopped, freezing mentally in confusion as her voice sounded rough and deep. Like Darth Vader had smoked too many cigarettes. She forced herself to cough, thinking that something surely must’ve been caught in her throat.

However, no number of coughs could get rid of it. It stayed deep and gravely, and the fact that there wasn’t any pain in her throat (though there was certainly a lot of pain elsewhere) proved this was, for lack of a better term, ‘normal.’

It was at that point that Maddie chose to open her eyes, and her confusion deepened. She was in Godzilla’s den. But that couldn’t have been right. She hadn’t gone to sleep with Godzilla last night, choosing to sleep in her own bed on the base proper.

And, adding to that, she was apparently in here at an awkward angle. In the center of the floor, angled at such a way so that the alcove she _normally_ inhabited looked positively teeny.

Maddie shook her head and froze. The movement was all _wrong_. Normally, when a person was far enough away from something, like the moon, any sort of movement would give the illusion that the stationary object was following someone. But, in this instance, the alcove that should’ve been far enough away to stay in her vision with her minute movements shrunk down and moved, like moving around one of the cut-out rooms in a dollhouse.

And, then, Maddie noticed something else. The pounding in her chest. It constantly felt like her own heart was going to explode, like she’d just gotten done running so far past what her body was naturally capable of. Simply put, it _hurt._ It felt harder to breathe, like she’d stuck herself under a blanket for a long period of time. The skin across her entire being constantly felt scratchy, itching with such an intensity that she thought she might’ve fallen in a grove of poison ivy.

Her bones creaked, her muscles felt like they had been pulled a thousand times over, and there was a weight on her back and directly behind her that felt like it could crush her.

The mere act of _existing_ was agonizing, to the extent that Maddie wanted to curl into a ball and try to cry the pain away.

But, she couldn’t. Because she was too terrified. Her brain was running at faster-than-light, working through the pieces. Why she’d woken up in Godzilla’s den, why everything looked wrong, why everything hurt for no reason…

There was one thing, only one, simple act she’d have to do to get confirmation.

Maddie looked down…

And she _screamed_.

\-------------

The last vestiges of the shared dream chased themselves away from his mind, and Godzilla slowly breathed, in and out, in and out…

An odd scent crossed his nose, and Godzilla sniffed. It took him a moment to place what it was. Sweat and conditioner. Odd. It smelled almost like the conditioner Maddie used. She hadn’t snuck in to sleep on top of him without permission again, had she?

It was at that moment that Godzilla had regained enough of his faculties to realize something. He was on a mattress.

 _He_ was on a _mattress_. Under a blanket any laying his head back on a pillow. Needless to say, that should’ve been impossible, unless Monarch found a way to construct and move him onto a mattress large enough to fit him without him noticing. Furthermore, he was laying _back_ on it, despite the giant spines attached to his back making it impossible. Actually, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t feel his spines.

Nor his tail, which was especially odd given that he should’ve been able to detect it like it was a third leg.

Actually, thinking about it further, he couldn’t feel _any_ of the usual sensations that marked his existence. Not his enormous, reactor-like heart beating, not the scales on his skin clumping up against each other, not even his bones as they supported his weight.

What’s more, his weight distribution was _all_ wrong. Just laying there, he felt… light. He could twitch his arm, and it didn’t feel like he was trying to move against water.

Godzilla yawned, and stopped in his tracks. His eyes snapped open, looking at darkness. There were no windows here, wherever he was.

He slowly sat up, pushing himself up on his hands. Something was very, very wrong. He had an extra finger on his hands, his feet and toes were shaped all differently, and as gravity was reoriented, his chest felt all sorts of wrong. He threw the blankets off and staggered out of the bed.

There was no way this was possible. He couldn’t have become human again… could he? Maybe he had, maybe Monarch found him and set him up in quarters so he’d be comfortable. He felt around the wall for a light switch and flicked it, flinching as the bright light hit his corneas.

Slowly, he began to look around, taking in his surroundings. There was the standard furniture, dressers, the bed, a carpet, and bedside tables, nothing out of the ordinary. What caught his attention, though, was the photo on the nightstand. A picture of Maddie and her family. They must’ve put him in here so he wouldn’t panic.

Well, it wasn’t helping. Godzilla looked down at himself and went stone-cold.

He was human, alright. But not in the way he was expecting. He felt around his head, grabbing and pulling around strands of chestnut-colored locks.

“I’M A GIRL!” Godzilla squeaked, the act startling him even more. “No… no… Check, check, mic check!” He said to himself in a panic.

Flying into a mad dash, Godzilla looked around for the doors. There was one with the hinges on the inside, the way out into the rest of the quarters, and the other was angled in.

Godzilla ran over, nearly tripping and falling, as he threw the door open, slamming a hand on the light switch. Light filled the bathroom, and Godzilla walked slowly, positioning himself in front of the mirror.

He raised a hand, and Maddie’s form raised a corresponding one. He waggled his fingers, the reflection mimicking him. He reached out to the mirror, touching it, before pulling it up slightly, verifying that, yes, it was an actual mirror and not a piece of glass to an identical room as some sort of prank.

“No…” Godzilla felt ‘his’ face, in actuality Maddie’s, slowly, gently prodding each contour and feature. “How… What… I…”

A deep, bellowing roar that sounded like a scream shook the base, and Godzilla looked around.

It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion. If he was in Maddie’s body, then Maddie…

“Oh shit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	25. A Very Freaky Day, Part Two

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!” Godzilla hyperventilated running through the corridors of the base. He tripped over his own, human feet, barely keeping from slamming into the wall by throwing ‘his’ hands out. “This isn’t happening. This _can’t_ be happening!” He madly mumbled, getting himself turned around through the mazelike corridors of the place.

Didn’t this damn base have exit signs?

“Whoa, whoa,” Someone, a woman, suddenly stopped him. “Hey, calm down. What’s wrong, Madison?”

Godzilla stood frozen jaw dropped as he looked up at his mother. “I… I… I…”

Joyce worriedly tilted her head, “Madison? Are you okay?”

Godzilla tried to find his words. This was the chance he’d been waiting for such a long time, the chance to tell his mother sorry face-to-face, to tell her that it wasn’t her fault no matter how much she was probably blaming herself.

But he just couldn’t do it. He was far too confused, far too overwhelmed. And anything he might say right now could wind up just making him sound insane.

Instead, Godzilla asked a question.

“Where’s the way outside?” Godzilla asked through Maddie’s mouth, trying not to sound shaky.

Joyce tilted her head curiously. “You don’t remember?”

“I got… confused.” Godzilla stuttered. “Still half asleep, you know?”

“Ah,” Joyce smiled, nodding slightly. “It’s down that hall, a left, two rights, and right up the stairs. But, are you sure you don’t wanna eat breakfast before you go?”

“No… No… I’m good.” Godzilla swallowed, as he slowly walked past. “Thanks, mo- Mrs. Byers.” He directed, before bolting.

Joyce quizzically tilted her head. “Odd.”

\------------

 ** _“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!“_ **Maddie screamed, stumbling out of the den. The tail coming from her backside, the dorsal spines, and the fact that all the scenery looked smaller proved it all.

She’d somehow been put in control of Godzilla’s five-hundred-foot tall body, powers and all.

Maddie was breathing heavily, stumbling around, trying to keep calm, to no avail. Any attempts to form calming words from her mouth were, predictably, doomed to failure, all of it coming out as incoherent gargles.

“Hey!” Somebody shouted from down below. “Hey! Maddie!”

Her head snapped down, and she froze, looking at the tiny form standing there. Herself.

Narrowing her eyes, and hoping their connection was still active, Maddie began to direct a thought down to… well, her.

 _“G, that had better be you.”_ Maddie thought shakily.

Below, her body nodded.

“Yep.” Godzilla responded aloud. “It’s me.”

 _“Great…”_ Maddie sighed in relief, before it once again became steely. _“You’d better have an explanation for this.”_

\-----------

“I don’t know what happened!” Godzilla paced back and forth anxiously. “One second, you and I were in the dream, and then when I woke up, I was like… this!”

 _“Hey!”_ Maddie snarled. _“What’s that supposed to mean!?”_

“Well, no offense, but I’m not thrilled about being tiny enough to squish underneath a single foot.” Godzilla replied. “And then there’s these-“

 _“Your hands had better stop right fucking there.”_ Maddie growled. _“Arms by your side,_ NOW.”

Godzilla rolled his eyes, hands dropping. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Seriously though, everything feels too… light, and there’s a weight on-“

 _“OH, EVERYTHING’S TOO LIGHT AND IT’S TOO EASY TO MOVE!? MY APOLOGIES, HOW ABOUT I ENCASE YOU IN CONCRETE SO IT’S HARDER!?”_ Maddie bellowed. _“HOW ABOUT THE CONSTANT PAIN I’M DEALING WITH, THE CRUSHING WEIGHT ON MY BACK, THE FACT LIKE MY HEART FEELS IT’S GOING TO EXPLODE, AND MY LUNGS ARE ON FIRE!?”_

“…Yeah, sorry about that.” Godzilla quietly apologized.

Maddie huffed, snorting. _“Thanks, when my mind cracks because of the pain, I’ll remember your apology.”_ She sarcastically muttered. She suddenly stopped, tilting her newly-massive head down at the tiny human form, _“Wait… Is this what you feel like all the time?”_

“Oh, you know, not really…” Godzilla averted his gaze.

 _“G,”_ Maddie pestered.

Godzilla sighed. “Every second of every hour of every day.” He quietly muttered.

 _“God…”_ Maddie sounded like she wanted to cry upon hearing that. _“Why didn’t you say anything?”_

“…You guys wouldn’t be able to help.” Godzilla answered reluctantly. “Better for you guys not to know, than to know and beat yourselves up for being unable to do anything about it. Besides, it’s not that bad once you get used to-“

 _“No, no!”_ Maddie vehemently pointed. _“You stop it right there!_ Nobody _should have to be used to pain! We can do something for you, get Mothra to mix up something to help, or Rodan to do heat-therapy! You’re not in this alone, you never were!”_

Godzilla snorted, but smiled slightly. “Yeah… I guess not. So, since I’m not in this alone, what do _we_ do about fixing this mess?” He asked, slowly walking around Maddie’s alcove, examining all the objects.

 _“Don’t touch my books.”_ Maddie hissed. _“And what do you mean ‘we?’ I’m not the one responsible for this!”_

“Well, neither am _I_!” Godzilla retorted. He sighed, rubbing his new face. God, that was weird. “Look… we need to find some way of fixing this, fast. No offense, but I don’t particularly want to spend the rest of my life in your body.”

 _“Yeah, well,_ I _don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a giant lizard with chronic pain, so it all balances out.”_ Maddie replied. _“Right, um… think… There’s gotta be some mechanism that caused this to happen, right? Something that_ caused _this.”_

“Maybe…” Godzilla granted, rubbing his chin. “But how do you know it wasn’t a quirk of my body, causing random swaps?”

 _“I think that if that was true, this would’ve happened sooner.”_ Maddie reasoned, causing Godzilla to nod in agreement.

“Yeah, yeah.” Godzilla granted. “You got a point there. But, if something did cause this, how do we figure out what it was?”

 _“That’s the big question…”_ Maddie laid down on her stomach, brows furrowed in deep thought. _“You know, a pretty big electrical storm passed through here the other night. Maybe it’s to blame?”_

“Maybe, but if it was an electrical storm… fuck.” Godzilla cursed, “We might not be able to recreate the circumstances of the switch. It’d be like trying to get lightning to strike the same place twice.”

 _“Yeah… but we have to try.”_ Maddie resolved. _“Okay, listen to me. Castle Bravo has all sorts of weather-monitoring equipment that’s designed to track the effect you have on the atmosphere. Get inside, find Rick, get him to get the info for you by saying it’s for… curiosity.”_

Godzilla tilted his head. “Why don’t we just tell them what’s going on?”

 _“We will… if we can’t get it sorted ourselves.”_ Maddie answered. _“I don’t wanna make them worry.”_

“Sounds stupid, but okay.” Godzilla granted. “What’re you gonna do?”

 _“Stay here and… I don’t know.”_ Maddie admitted. _“God knows I can’t go anywhere like this, I’d probably smash something without thinking about it.”_

“Yeah, that body isn’t exactly built for grace.” Godzilla huffed, looking up to her gently. “I’ll be back when I find something.”

_“Just go. I don’t wanna be stuck like this for any longer than I have to.”_

Godzilla nodded accommodatingly. “Yes, ma’am. Hey… are there any clothes that’re off limits?”

 _“What?”_ Maddie blinked. _“Why would you ask that?”_

“Well, I can’t go wandering around the base in pajamas, now can I?”

 _“…Just find something that looks decent.”_ Maddie growled. _“But I swear to God, if I found out you looked at_ anything _for longer than absolutely necessary-“_

“You’ll use the new body to flatten me like a pancake, yeah, yeah.”

\-----------

Godzilla shiftily looked around, eyes darting back and forth as he walked through the inner corridors of Castle Bravo. He’d never been inside the place, for obvious reasons, but it did look pretty much how he was expecting. Running off directions Maddie drilled into him, he navigated towards the command center, where everyone was working.

The door opened, and soon, all eyes were on him.

“Madison,” Serizawa nodded in greeting, “I’m afraid your father isn’t here at the moment.”

“Um, that’s okay…” Godzilla awkwardly stuttered. “I came here to see Rick.”

Vivienne blinked. “Rick?”

Ilene tilted her head. “Rick?”

Serizawa’s eyebrows shot up. “Rick?”

Rick looked up from his station. “Ric- I mean, me?”

Godzilla tapped his fingers as he slowly approached. “Yeah, um… do you have the thing that… looks at the weather and records it?”

Rick frowned. “You mean the weather sensors?”

“Yeah, those.” Godzilla nodded, trying to project an outward sense of calm and serenity as he walked over, the clothing shrouding his being feeling like it was suffocating him. “There was an electrical storm that blasted through here last night… I wanted to see what it did.”

Rick looked at Godzilla like he was stupid. “It’s an _electrical storm._ Just lighting throwing itself around like it’s goin’ outta style.”

Godzilla narrowed his eyes.

“Uh… did you just fucking growl at me?” Rick asked, and Godzilla jumped, looking around, all eyes on him.

“N-No, just… clearing my throat, heheh.” Godzilla awkwardly coughed. “Look, can I just get the data, please?”

Rick raised an eyebrow. “What, no ‘go to hell, Rick?’ Not that I’m complaining.” He said, typing in the commands on the keyboard. “There you go,” He gestured. “God only knows what you want it for, but there it is.”

Godzilla leaned over, reading the information himself. “…Yeah, I don’t understand any of this.”

Rick looked at him, with shock and disgust. “Seriously?” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “Fine, in layman’s terms, it was all normal last night, nothing out of the usual.”

“Really?” Godzilla frowned skeptically.

“Yeah.” Rick confirmed. “Why, you expect-“ Rick found himself suddenly cut off as the alarms began to sound. Immediately, Rick got rid of the weather data, calling up other information. “We got another one! Crab-like lifeform the size of a cruise ship just took out an oil tanker and is pulling itself towards Anchorage!”

The rest of the room flew into action, as Godzilla stood there, clueless as to what to do for the first time in a long, long while.

“Survivors?” Serizawa questioned.

“Too early to say.” Rick replied.

“Name?” The man asked.

“They’re calling it Kani.” Rick answered. “Japanese for crab, that’s creative…”

“Right,” Serizawa turned, “We must send in Gojira-“

“No!” Godzilla suddenly yelped, all eyes turning to him. “I mean… He’s not feeling good today. Like, real, real bad. He couldn’t even pull himself upright, he was hurting so much.”

“Hm… concerning.” Serizawa commented. “We’ll have to send Mothra and Rodan, instead.”

“Least we can actually understand what she says.” Rick muttered, earning a glare from Godzilla, as he pressed and held down the button, speaking into the mic. The enormous speakers on the outside of the base had been wired up so, in the event that Maddie wasn’t able to send him a message for whatever reason, they could grab him directly, which then turned into a way of getting the others once they’d shown up. “Mothra, we’ve got a big effin’ crab crawling through the Pacific towards a city. Grab Rodan, and you two take it out, since Godzilla’s too lazy to do it himself today.” He said, taking his hand off. The heat being generated by the glare could be felt, as Rick turned and looked at Godzilla. “What?”

Ilene shook her head, as Serizawa looked to Godzilla. “Madison,” He addressed, “Go attend to Gojira, monitor the situation, and update us if anything changes.”

“U-Um, yeah, sure thing.” Godzilla awkwardly stuttered and cringingly smiled, as he technically already disobeyed orders. “I’ll so do that.” He bolted, the door slamming behind him.

The others assembled blinked, looking to each other curiously.

“What got into her?” Rick wondered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	26. A Very Freaky Day, Part Three

“Well, I’ve got news!” Godzilla strode into the cave, looking to Maddie. She opened her eyes, looking at him in a way that demanded him to continue. “All of it bad.”

 _“Great.”_ Maddie muttered. _“You know, you’d make an excellent doctor. Your bedside manner is impeccable.”_

Godzilla huffed, rolling his eyes. “Which one do you wanna hear first? The bad news or the worse news?”

_“Bad, please.”_

“There’s a giant crab that’s causing trouble,” Godzilla relayed, “But don’t worry, cause Mothra and Rodan are dealing with it.”

_“Great, now, the worse news?”_

Godzilla sighed, rubbing his face. “That lightning storm, the sensors said, was totally normal.” He reluctantly informed her. “Nothing unusual at all.”

 _“W-Well, there has to be_ something!” Maddie spluttered. _“It’s the only explanation I can think of!”_

“Yeah, well, unless you can generate full lightning storms to test that hypothesis, there’s no way of knowing.” Godzilla replied, as Maddie became unusually silent. He looked to her, worried. “Mads?”

_“…Mothra can create lightning with her wings, right?”_

“Yeah,” Godzilla nodded, following along. “You think she can help set all this right?”

 _“Why not? She_ says _she created all life in the universe. If that’s even a little bit true, she might know enough about what’s happening to fix us.”_

“So, that means we have to wait for them to get back, eugh.” Godzilla frustratedly grunted.

 _“Hey, be glad_ you _can at least pass the time in the base!”_

Godzilla suddenly stood tall. “Yeah… I’ll be back!”

 _“Wait, no!”_ Maddie called. _“Don’t leave me here!”_

“You’ll be fine, just… Throw water into Rodan’s volcano or something!”

_“This isn’t a good idea, G!”_

“Oh, relax!” Godzilla replied. “What could possibly happen!?”

\----------

Finding his way through the winding, mazelike corridors of the base was difficult at first, but he was able to eventually wrestle the directions he needed out of Maddie, by threatening to…

Well, you don’t need to know the exact details. Let’s just say it involved Maddie’s face and a sharpie.

With the info he needed, Godzilla came up on the Byers’s quarters, and stood there, reluctant. It was just his mother and El, but… it had been ages since he’d seen either of them in a state where he could properly interact with the two. _Any_ of his old friends for that matter.

But… this might be the last chance to say anything to them. He had to take it.

So, Godzilla raised his hand, knocking on the door.

It slid open, and on the other side was-

“El.” Godzilla recognized with a smile. “Is mo- Joyce here?”

El shook her head, before tilting it curiously. “Why?”

“I just… wanted to drop by.” Godzilla shakily nodded. “I’ll, um, come back, I guess.” He turned to leave, being suddenly stopped as El grabbed his wrist.

El slowly paced around, looking into his eyes, before she sharply exhaled, eyes going wide. “Godzilla?”

Godzilla fearfully yelped, looking around, before shoving El into the quarters, dashing in after her. “N-No, what gave you that idea? Heh. Heh heh.” He tried to laugh.

El looked him up and down. “Everybody has a… feeling. You don’t feel like Maddie, you feel like Godzilla. Besides, if it was nothing,” She tilted her head and crossed her arms, “You wouldn’t have shoved me inside to talk about it.”

“Oh, you devious, clever-“ Godzilla clamped his hands over his lips. “I-I mean, that’s ridiculous! Godzilla and me swapping bodies? That’s absurd!”

“I didn’t say anything about swapping bodies.”

“You didn’t?” Godzilla sighed. “Well… well, shit.” He weakly shrugged. “You got me. Yep, it’s me. The Big Guy.”

El’s jaw dropped, and she breathed in awe, stepping around. “How…” Her eyes narrowed. “Prove it. Tell me something only Godzilla knows.”

“Okay, um…” Godzilla stuttered. “When I got stuck in the upside down, and you came to me with that message… I was so ready to die, just lying there, ready for it to happen… then you showed up, telling me that my mom was coming. You gave me hope. Long enough to hold on for them to show up and rescue me.”

El gaped further. “It’s you…” She smiled, pulling him into a squeezing hug.

Godzilla blinked, confused. “I don’t know what the hell this is about, but the hug is really nice, thanks.”

“How did this happen!?” El demanded, pulling back.

Godzilla shrugged. “We don’t know. Maddie thinks it has something to do with the electrical storm that blasted through here last night, but… Rick said it was all normal.”

“Normal…” El repeated, frowning. “We’ll go talk to them, get them to look at it closer.”

“No!” Godzilla cut her off, causing her to look at him in confusion. “I don’t… we don’t wanna tell the others. If it’s possible, we want to fix it quickly and quietly.”

“But,” El tilted her head, “What if you can’t fix it?”

“Maddie’s going to talk to Mothra about that.” Godzilla explained. “If she can’t help, then we’ll tell you guys. But please, for me… don’t tell anyone.”

El frowned uncomfortably. “Don’t wanna lie.”

“You won’t be lying.” Godzilla shook his head. “You just… won’t be telling them. It’s like a secret. Only you and I can know.”

“Secret…” El bit her lip, before nodding. “I’ll keep your secret.”

“Thanks.” Godzilla slumped in relief. El suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him towards a room off the main living area. “Wait, what-“

“You’re human again, your mom doesn’t get back for a while,” El explained, “Let’s have some fun.” She shut the door, and Godzilla looked around. Going by all the drawings of the name ‘Mike,’ typically accented with hearts, the photos of her and the party scattered about, the toys that any _normal_ teenager would’ve probably thrown out, and the strange discordant harmony the entire place exuded, it was probably El’s room.

He began to feel uncomfortable. _He_ was in a _girl’s_ room…

El walked over to a dresser, rooting through the top drawer, pulling out dozens of bottles of nail polish, each one a vividly different color, contained in a tray.

El pushed Godzilla so he was sitting on the bed and presented the tray to him.

Godzilla blinked, looking up at her. “What is this?”

“Nail polish.” El answered. “For looking pretty. It goes on the nails like paint, and-“

“No, no, I know that.” Godzilla replied. “Why are you holding it out to me like that?”

El huffed, rolling her eyes. “We’re doing nails, duh. Pick a color.”

Godzilla’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh, El, I hate to break it to you, but I’m a dude, and dudes don’t typically-“

“No,” El cut him off, “You’re a _girl_.” She corrected, poking him in the chest.

Oh, that’s right. He _was_ a girl at the moment.

Godzilla shifted. “Right. But… I don’t wanna do this without asking Maddie, this body _is_ hers.”

El giggled at that.

Godzilla cocked his head. “What?”

“Dustin was right.” El quietly laughed. “You are ‘totally whipped.’”

“I’m not whipped!” Godzilla squeaked. Wait… _squeaked?_ Jesus, only a few hours, and being in control of this body was already getting to him. “It’s called being a decent human being.”

El rolled her eyes. “Maddie won’t care. And if she does, we can always remove it. Now,” She practically shoved the tray at him. “Pick a color.”

Godzilla’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at it, blinking. He did _not_ wanna be part of this anymore.

“Um,” He looked up, “Is it too late to back out?”

“Yes.” El frankly stated.

“Son of a bitch.”

\------------

 _“Fricking Godzilla,”_ Maddie muttered, strolling slowly out of the cave, stomping and growling as she walked towards the sea. _“Just throw me to the wolves, why doesn’t he? It’s not like I’m in control of a new, terrifying form that constantly feels like it’s about to rip itself apart.”_

Maddie stopped, grunting in idle pain as she clutched her chest. _“Ow…”_ She mumbled, as with each breath, it felt like… trying to breathe sawdust. Her throat felt dry, her skin sandpapery, and then it clicked.

 _“Oh,”_ Maddie almost smacked herself in the face. _“I am an_ idiot _.”_ She did have an excuse for not realizing it before, at least. Godzilla was amphibious, which meant he had to spend _some_ time in the water, or he’d dry himself out and become kaiju jerky.

With that in mind, Maddie began walking to the water, on the other side of the island from Castle Bravo so they _couldn’t_ see her flounder around, just in case.

It did turn out to be a necessary development as, upon striding shoulder-deep into the water, Maddie stopped, freezing. She wasn’t human anymore, yet every instinct she had told her that doing this was stupid and was going to get her killed.

But she’d seen Godzilla do it plenty of times, and he’d always been perfectly fine. So, thinking about him and the ease of which it came to him, Maddie strode fully into the water, submerging entirely.

As the water washed over her gills, all the pained, agonizing sensations she’d been feeling up to that point vanished entirely. The weight was taken off her bones and muscles, her heart calmed, breathing underwater felt like breathing cool refreshing air, and her skin felt freshly moisturized.

 _“Ah…”_ Maddie sighed in relief, serenely closing her eyes, as she floated there in the water.

It was a shame there were no hot springs on the island, that would really complete the experience. Maddie’s eyes snapped open as she got an idea. There had to be a geothermal vent around here somewhere, and they’d more than proven Godzilla’s body could handle the depths required to reach one.

With that in mind, Maddie began to swim, albeit awkwardly, and dove into the water, vanishing entirely.

\------------

Godzilla looked at “his” hands and feet, waggling his fingers and toes, as he looked at the paint on them, the substance coloring them atomic breath blue. It was also a bit glittery. At least it wasn’t _actual_ glitter, Maddie might have killed him for that.

“See?” El smiled, finishing the coat on his pinkie finger, and pulling back. “Pretty.”

Godzilla looked down, taking it in. He might’ve been a bit miffed, had he even been in a male body, but… well, even with his mind the same, it was fun. Just… being able to unwind in a way he hadn’t been able to for a long time was a breath of fresh air.

“El!” A voice called from the other room, causing both heads to snap to the door. “I’m back.” Joyce said, peeking her head in. “Oh, hello Madison.” She politely greeted. “Did you want to stay for dinner?”

“Dinner?” Godzilla repeated, turning to the clock. It couldn’t have been that late, could it?

The blinking light on the clock that proclaimed it to be six said that, yes, it was that late.

“Um, sure…” Godzilla admitted. “What’re we having?”

\------------

As it turned out, they were having fried chicken. Homemade fried chicken, his favorite food from… before.

As they sat there at the table, eating, they talked to each other. El was, very stealthily, making reference to events that Godzilla could’ve only had knowledge of, and he was answering them on autopilot, not knowing what she was doing.

Joyce, however, picked up on it. And her shock and amazement filled the air.

Before long, Joyce had cornered El about it when Godzilla had to leave the table to use the restroom, and El did confirm it.

The woman could’ve cried. Even inhabiting Maddie’s body, she got to properly talk to her son again.

Thus, when Godzilla got back, he found himself startled as Joyce was on her feet like lightning, pulling him into a hug that squeezed the air out of him.

As Joyce murmured, Godzilla looked to El inquiringly, and the girl sheepishly shrugged.

“I might’ve given her a few hints.”

\-------

“S-So,” Joyce stuttered, pointing as Godzilla ate from a tub of ice cream, “You and Madison have somehow… switched.”

“Yep.” Godzilla answered.

“A-And, you don’t know how to fix it?” Joyce continued.

“She’s gonna talk to Mothra.” Godzilla explained.

“Right…” Joyce slowly nodded. “And… the first thing you did was come seek us out?” She asked, gesturing to herself and El.

Godzilla smiled slightly. “Of course I did. You’re still my mom.”

“Oh… Oh, Will…” Joyce cried, pulling him in, as he flinched. “I’m sorry, did I-“

“No, no,” Godzilla quietly cut her off. “I just don’t like using that name anymore. It’s not… who _I_ am.”

“I get it.” Joyce quietly responded, sounding downcast.

“You can still call me it.” Godzilla told her. “Just… no one else. Not even El.”

“But, wait,” Joyce pulled back, “Why didn’t you just tell us to start with?”

“It was Maddie’s idea at first, but then I thought…” Godzilla began, trying to force the words out through his emotions. “I thought you guys wouldn’t wanna deal with me.”

“Will…” Joyce breathed, looking at him. “What ever gave you that idea?”

“…You guys never come around to visit me.” Godzilla swallowed. “The others have an excuse cause they’re so far away, but you, El…” Godzilla sniffled. “The only one who ever comes around to spend time with me is Maddie. She’s really the only one who registers I even exist like that.”

El frowned shakily, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to be.” Godzilla quietly, ruefully laughed. “I can understand why you don’t wanna spend time with a monster.”

“No!” El immediately shouted, smacking him on the arm. “Don’t say things like that! We’ll fix it, I promise!”

Joyce nodded in agreement. “She’s right. All this time I thought you wanted to be left alone… I suppose I should’ve asked what you wanted first.”

Godzilla wiped his nose. “I… I want you guys to remember I exist. That I’m not just some monster that gets called out when you guys want stuffed smashed. It’s still _me_. Because I see it in your eyes every time I’m around. You guys look at me, and _all_ you see is just Godzilla, you don’t see _me_ … Do you have any idea of what that’s like?”

“I have no clue.” Joyce admitted sadly. “But… we wanna put things right.”

The room rumbled gently, as a trilling call and squawking echo came through the walls.

“That’s Mothra and Rodan.” Godzilla recognized, standing up, and taking a breath. “I suppose it’s time to ask her.”

“Do you…” El began, trying not to sound pushy. “Do you want us to come?”

Godzilla stood there for a moment, considering it. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

\----------

Before long, the three human forms stood out in front of Mothra’s waterfall, Maddie standing tall in Godzilla’s body not far away. It had been a hassle, wrestling Maddie away from the geothermal vent, but they got her to acquiesce, and then they set about explaining the situation to Mothra.

It was awkward enough explaining it to Mothra, and it didn’t help that Rodan was in the peanut gallery, laughing his ass off.

 _“Oh, this is great, just fantastic.”_ Rodan laughed boisterously. _“The great and mighty Godzilla reduced to a child. A hew-mon_ girl _.”_

Godzilla scowled, crossing his arms. “I’m not a kid. Maddie’s fourteen.”

“ _No, I’m thinking more nine or ten.”_ Rodan replied. _“I’m seeing pigtails, frilly skirt.”_

 _“Look,”_ Maddie growled, _“Can we just get this sorted? I don’t wanna be stuck like this for any longer. God knows he doesn’t take care of this body.”_

“HEY!” Godzilla shouted.

 _“Just a little upkeep is all it takes, dude. All I had to do was spend a few hours in a geothermal vent and all that pain melted away like it was nothing.”_ Maddie replied. _“I guess that’ll have to be added to my duties, in addition to being Chief Godzilla Whisperer.”_

Godzilla let out a suffering sigh. “Yes, ma’am.”

El laughed. “See? Whipped!”

Mothra, who had been looking upon the scene silently, looked between the assembled. _“I see. If I didn’t believe you had swapped before, I do now. Behavior like this is typical after a swap.”_

“Typical?” Godzilla hopefully asked. “That means you’ve dealt with things like this?”

 _“Oh, yes, quite frequently.”_ Mothra replied. _“As Maddie is your Queen, you and she share a similar bond as the ancient Titans and their Emissaries had, except, perhaps, on an even deeper level. These bonds allowed for many things, the bonded humans would take on attributes of their representative Titan, but in the case of extremely strong bonds, when both beings were in a dream state, they would share dreams.”_

 _“Oh, yeah, we already do that.”_ Maddie nodded.

 _“Oh, good, that makes the explanation even simpler.”_ Mothra continued on. _“During this state, both minds, both subconsciousnesses, become intertwined, woven together. When they separate, occasionally, the wrong mind can wind up awakening in the wrong body.”_

“So, what you’re saying,” Godzilla wracked his brain, “Is all we have to do is go back to sleep?”

 _“In simple terms, yes.”_ Mothra confirmed. _“The actual particulars are extremely complex, but you needn’t worry. I’ll assist the process along. Now, as it is already fairly late, and I’m sure the two of you are aching to get back to where you belong, perhaps you’d like to start?”_

 _“I’m ready whenever you are.”_ Maddie stood ready.

Mothra then looked to Godzilla.

“…Hold on just a second, please.” Godzilla requested, turning to his mother. “I just wanna say… I’m sorry. For all of it. For leaving without telling you what was going on, for Ghidorah going after you guys, for constantly getting swept up in the giant monster fights-“

“Will,” Joyce cut him off now, “This is your life now, you don’t have to apologize. I couldn’t be any more prouder of the person you’ve become.”

Godzilla swallowed, smiling, before looking to El. “And I just wanted to say… thanks. For helping me get back, for helping save me from the Mind Flayer… thank you.”

El smiled, gently hugging him. “You’re welcome.”

Godzilla turned, looking up at his body. “And Maddie… There’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but I never really could. Could you bend down, please?”

Maddie looked curious, but did so, maneuvering carefully so her titanic head was close to the ground.

Godzilla gingerly approached, reaching out, and gently rubbing the scaly skin, as he worked himself up mentally. Closing his eyes and bracing himself for the inherent weirdness of it all, he puckered up and pressed a kiss to the smoothest part of the scales he could find, lingering for a moment, before pulling away.

“Since I can’t do that normally…” Godzilla began. “I figured I might as well take the chance I’d been given.” He took a breath, looking to Mothra. “Okay… I’m ready.”

 _“Then take the positions the other is accustomed to when sleeping.”_ Mothra advised. It took them a moment to figure out what she meant, but she was telling them to find each other’s beds, and lay down.

Walking back to the cave, Godzilla walked up to Maddie’s alcove, and sat down on the bed, while Maddie laid down on the smooth, stone floor in the center of the room.

 _“Now… sleep.”_ Mothra murmured in their minds, and before long, the two found the world going dark around them, as Godzilla flopped back, and drifted into unconsciousness.

\------------

Godzilla was the first to awoke, feeling the beating of the heart in his chest, the weight on his bones and back, and most importantly… his tail.

 _“Haha, yeah!”_ Godzilla stood tall. _“I’m back, baby!”_

Down on the bed below, he noticed Maddie twitch and quickly awaken, feeling her own face, before a relieved, joyous smile split her features.

“Oh, thank god!” Maddie jumped out of bed, stopping as she saw her colored nails, but quickly shook it off, running towards Godzilla. “How’re you feeling!?”

 _“Great.”_ Godzilla rumbled, and for the first time in a long while, it was true. _“You?”_

“A-Okay!” Maddie flashed him a thumbs-up. “Where is everyone?” She asked, looking around.

“ _Probably got tired watching us sleep.”_ Godzilla answered.

“Ah, probably.” Maddie nodded, before she suddenly frowned, checking herself over.

_“What’re you doing?”_

“Making sure you didn’t knock anything out of place!”

Godzilla huffed. _“Oh, ye of little faith. I’ll have you know, I treated your body with the same care and respect as I treat mine.”_

“Oh, hell, I’d better get to the hospital then.”

_“Fuck you.”_

_\----------_

True to their word, Joyce and El began making more of an effort to seek out and socialize with Godzilla, talking with him about any old thing that crossed their minds, trying to find activities that they could do with him, and so forth.

Eventually, there came a time when El wanted to go back to Hawkins to visit, and to save on money and not having to skim off Monarch’s resources, Godzilla volunteered to ferry her.

“Are you sure about this?” Maddie asked, standing with her arms crossed as El checked her bags to make sure everything was secure, before hopping into Godzilla’s hand.

 _“Course I’m sure.”_ Godzilla responded. _“’Sides, it’s been a while since I saw the guys.”_

Maddie shook her head. “I know, I know, but are you sure you don’t want me to go? I’m the only one besides Mothra who can act as a translator.”

 _“I know, but… well, might as well keep things simple.”_ Godzilla replied. _“I don’t wanna have to worry about any more than a single person, know what I mean? Like, carrying one baby is easy, carrying two is exponentially more difficult.”_

Maddie huffed, a snide smile warping her lips. “You just want to sleep without having to worry about me doing stuff in town, don’t you?”

 _“You said it, not me.”_ Godzilla chuckled as he leaned down to look her in the eye. _“I’ll be back soon, promise.”_

“You’d better.” Maddie pointed threateningly, before smiling and giving him a gentle peck on his snout. “See you soon, big guy.”

Godzilla stood tall, saluting her with two fingers, as he went into the water, swimming away at high speeds.

She didn’t know it… but that would be the last time Maddie would see her friend for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	27. The Littlest King, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After this arc, it's Godzilla vs Zilla '98, promise!

It had happened one night while Maddie was asleep. Curiously enough, she and Godzilla hadn’t shared a dream state this time. Probably because he was up fighting a monster yet again.

Indeed, there was a crisis situation occurring on the mainland, and as usual, Godzilla had been the one sent to deal with it. Not even Mothra or Rodan, as they had been recuperating from their long series of fights that they had to take on solo while Godzilla was gone.

He couldn’t blame them for wanting time off, but this was _seriously_ starting to piss him off. The monster of the week was an enormous, flying manta ray like lifeform. The current theory the monarch scientists had was that the manta ray, named Torrance by Rick as some roundabout reference only Mark got (even then it took a moment, because it had been ages since he’d read _The Shining_ ) generated an electrical field that resonated with the atmosphere, allowing Torrance to manipulate air currents to achieve lift.

Godzilla couldn’t have cared less about the science, however. The thing was generating an unnatural lightning storm as it moved, slamming bolts down haphazardly everywhere in a way that had already caused thousands in property damage, a dozen people to be sent to the hospital, and Godzilla’s own beauty sleep to be disturbed.

He’d tried negotiating with it at first, like always, and like all the other Biollante-born monsters, it was little more than an animal following its instincts.

So, Godzilla remembered the words of Godzilla from the universe where it was 2019… He’d have to find a better moniker. Maddie suggested Dadzilla in jest, but there was no way he was referring to the older one as Dadzilla. Mainly because if they had to meet up again, it’d get awkward quickly.

Anyhow, Dadzilla had said that a king’s duty was to deal with those who’d gotten too far out of line. Like it or not, Torrance was one of those, so it became the choice of putting down one feral animal, or letting it rampage and potentially kill others.

It wasn’t a difficult choice… but that didn’t mean it was easy. Trying to make it as quick as possible, Godzilla charged his atomic breath, and led his shot, aiming for the creature gracefully, yet destructively, flying overhead.

The beam of aqua blue energy darted out, striking Torrance and sending it to the ground, screeching. The poor, wounded creature lay on the ground, bleeding out, screeching in pain. Godzilla slowly approached, carrying himself in a manner that signified he wasn’t a threat, before he knelt down next to the wounded animal.

Godzilla always hated these fights. There were some monsters that were actively hostile and sought humans to prey on. Then there were others, like Torrance, that couldn’t comprehend the fallout of their simple movements, and thus, had to be put down if they couldn’t be redirected to safe environments.

Torrance chittered weakly, its eyes darting around, as Godzilla placed a kind, steadying hand on its back. The King of the Monsters could feel the Manta Kaiju’s heartbeat slowing down, and the creature’s labored breathing become even more rattling.

 _“I’m sorry.”_ Godzilla rumbled, hoping that even if Torrance couldn’t understand him, the creature at least wouldn’t be alone as it passed. _“You’re just a poor, terrified animal who was thrown from its home by forces beyond its control. You don’t deserve this, and I’m sorry for inflicting it upon you.”_

Torrance responded with a shake, a zap from its electrical powers darting through Godzilla, before fading entirely.

It didn’t feel like Torrance was trying to harm him, oddly enough. Rather like, in lieu of having its own hand, this was the gesture to make contact back.

Torrance’s eye, the one on the side where Godzilla was standing, glanced to him, and Godzilla made eye contact back, still continuing to keep the Manta Kaiju company.

Torrance’s back rose and fell one final time, before going still entirely, and its eye closed shut, forever.

Godzilla sighed, stepping back, and turning around to walk back to the ocean. He sighed, rubbing his face as he slowly marched.

He hated battles like those. He was always victorious, but it never felt good. He’d never liked hurting animals, even back when he was human. If it came down to survival, he’d be able to do it, yes, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

As he walked, Godzilla’s eyes surveyed the landscape idly. Odd. They sure did grow the trees big there.

Never minding that, and then making note to add Torrance’s name to his little monument for the ‘Kaiju That Couldn’t be Saved,’ Godzilla went into the water, and sunk into the depths.

\-----------

When Maddie awoke that morning, it was not to the sound of the alarm clock, as she had expected, but rather, the sound of the intruder alarm going off at full blast.

Maddie rose out of bed, rubbing her eyes. Odd, the intruder alarm was going, but there were no gunshots or other sounds of battle.

The girl huffed, growling as she realized what must’ve happened. “Another crow must’ve nested in the goddamn tracks again.” Maddie angrily muttered, getting up and throwing on her robe over her pajamas, as she went to leave the quarters.

There were no security announcements being routed through the speakers, so no, it wasn’t any hostile elements. Yet, as Maddie walked, she noticed a security team running down the corridor, and she frowned. That was… towards the mess hall, wasn’t it?

What the hell was going on? Dustin hadn’t broken in to raid their stash of government cheese, had he? She thought he’d learned the lesson last time.

Deciding to turn towards the command center to see what was going on, Maddie sped to her destination quickly.

\-------------

When Maddie got inside, the place was in a state of utter _chaos_.

“Security Team Charlie arriving in medical.” Vivienne reported. “Only minor wounds, nothing fatal.”

Serizawa nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Send in Team Delta. Tell them tranquilizers _only.”_

“Tranqs?” Maddie saw fit to repeat as she made her presence known. “Do I even want to ask?”

Chen looked up from her screen, glancing to Maddie. “There is an unknown intruder making the rounds, sending our teams back with burns and bite marks. Tranquilizer darts are more silent methods of incapacitation.”

“’Sides,” Rick chewed his gum, staring still at his screen, “Foster won’t let any of the _actual_ army guys come to help. Are we sure it’s in the canteen, guys?” Rick asked of the others.

“Damn positive,” Mark replied, “Didn’t see it, but the fucker got my breakfast baconator.”

Rick looked at him, concerned. “You eat a baconator for breakfast? _That’s_ what you’re mad about, dude?”

“Hey, it’s a pain in the ass to get actual Wendy’s out here!” Mark shot back. “Have to plan everything out by day so I can make it to the next drop… Besides, you had two shots of Vodka for breakfast, so I don’t wanna hear it!”

Maddie blinked, turning away from the arguing men, to the more reasonable person in the room, Vivienne. “Sorry… ‘It?’”

“One of our security teams caught a glimpse of it.” Vivienne answered. “They said it resembled a small alligator or crocodile.”

“Someone’s attempt at keeping a pet, no doubt.” Serizawa guessed, shaking his head. “It must have broken loose from its habitat and tripped one of the sensors in the air vents.”

“It’s those guys from Florida, I’m telling you!” Rick insisted. “You can’t trust Floridians!”

Serizawa frustratedly rubbed his forehead, looking back to Maddie. “Anyhow, no, it’s not a person, so if you like, you can go about your day. I would advise staying away from the areas surrounding the mess hall until the animal is apprehended, however.”

Maddie nodded. “Alright, I’ll go see what Godzilla’s doing.” She turned, and glad there wasn’t an _actual_ crisis happening to get in the way of her being able to move about unimpeded, moved to go through the base’s corridors to see Godzilla.

\-----------

In truth, however, curiosity won out over her desire to see her friend. She saw Godzilla every day, but _this_ was a rare occurrence. Animals never got in the base.

Besides, she’d never seen an alligator before. Or a crocodile. Whatever.

So, once she was out of sight of the others, Maddie immediately did the exact _opposite_ of what Serizawa suggested (he said advised, that didn’t mean she _had_ to listen) and started making her way towards the mess hall.

As she walked, she could hear the mad, disharmonious antics of the security teams trying to incapacitate the animal, to no success.

“DO NOT LET IT GET NEAR THE REFRIGERATOR!” Barnes yelled.

A loud, angry screech was the response to that, and Maddie stopped in her tracks.

Alligators didn’t roar, did they? She actually didn’t know, embarrassing.

“UH OH, HE’S GOING FOR IT!” Another one of them shouted, as she heard the resulting bang through the wall. “HEY! THAT’S MY LUNCH, ASSHOLE!”

At that point, Maddie could no longer contain her curiosity. She had to see what was giving them so much trouble. After all, one alligator couldn’t be _that_ troublesome.

The girl approached, pressing her ear to the door. The muffled conversations and crashes weren’t painting any bigger of a picture, so she turned the wheel, and pushed it open.

Instantly, all eyes were on her.

“DON’T LET IT OUT!” Barnes bellowed, as a two-foot-tall lifeform, locked his eyes on her, and charged.

 _“Maddie!”_ Godzilla roared as he sprinted across the floor, and the girl was absolutely dumbfounded as her friend was the size of a plush toy and currently raiding the kitchen. _“You’ve gotta get me outta this madhouse!”_ He ran into her legs, but Maddie stood steady as he clung to her like a toddler. _“These guys are animals, animals!”_

“Um…” Maddie blinked, searching for something to say. She finally looked up to Barnes, the security teams all looking at her cautiously, as Godzilla moved around to her other side, peeking out from behind with dangerously narrowed eyes. “This is what’s been giving you so much trouble?”

“Hey,” Barnes heaved, “The big guy’s king for a reason, makes sense that the small knockoff is just as troublesome.”

“Yeah, no, he’s not a knockoff.” Maddie replied, turning around to get Godzilla off her legs.

 _“Hey, what’re you doing!?”_ Godzilla kicked as Maddie picked him up. _“Put me down! I’m not a puppy you can carry!”_

“Quiet,” Maddie ordered, before looking to Barnes. “Yeah, this _is_ Godzilla.”

Barnes blinked, looking at Godzilla, then Maddie, then Godzilla again, before finally settling on Maddie. “But, he’s…?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“He’s small.”

Godzilla snorted. _“Major Barnes, you’ve just earned a promotion to Captain Obvious. Congrats, here’s your medal.”_

“Didn’t I just tell you to be quiet?” Maddie directed to Godzilla.

The mutant lizard crossed his arms, turning his head. _“Fine, didn’t wanna talk anyway…”_

“But…” Barned furrowed his eyebrows. “How’s that possible?”

Maddie looked down to Godzilla. “That’s the big- ...better yet, _little_ question.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	28. The Littlest King, Part Two

“Incredible…” Serizawa breathed, looking squarely at the monster sitting on Maddie’s leg.

Godzilla blinked, and let out a low rattle. _“Doc, I understand you can appreciate perfection, but you’re seriously starting to freak me out.”_

Maddie sighed, glancing at Serizawa. “He said ‘back off, please.’ You’re making him uncomfortable.”

“Ah.” Serizawa blinked, backing off slightly. “Better?” He asked, causing Godzilla to nod in response.

Everyone stood in the command center, gawking at the ‘animal’ who had been giving them trouble that morning. After Maddie had managed to get Godzilla to calm down, she went to alert the others of the predicament, so that way if another monster appeared, they wouldn’t be caught off-guard.

“I…” Mark rubbed his face. “I don’t get it… How’s this _possible_?”

“I don’t know!” Ilene hysterically replied. The poor woman’s composure had finally cracked from some of the events on base, the caffeine filling her bloodstream, and the fact that she’d been up since 3AM dealing with the ‘intruder.’ “Nothing like this has ever happened, ever! We might as well just call it… magic!”

“Well, how about we just _ask_ him?” Maddie looked down to the grumpy-faced mutant on her leg, “How’d it happen?”

Godzilla let out a rumble that, at his size, sounded _especially_ like a cat purring. _“Don’t know. I was big when I entered the hollow tunnel shortcut back to the base, when I got out, I was… teeny.”_

Maddie sighed, shaking her head as she looked to the others. “He says he doesn’t know.”

 _“It’s not all bad though, being small.”_ Godzilla shifted to try to make himself comfortable, causing Maddie to move him right back to where he was sitting before. _“I can eat_ actual _food again! That was good stuff.”_

“It must have been,” Maddie replied, “You ripped through the entire fridge in the cafeteria.”

 _“Heh, yeah.”_ Godzilla laughed, smiling, which nearly caused Mark’s heart to stop at seeing the sharp as hell teeth Godzilla was packing in that mouth. _“That did happen… Ohhhh, here we go.”_ Godzilla made a face, and before any of them could ask what it was about, he released a deep, echoing burp, before releasing a smaller one, smacking his lips. _“If the lunchladies are mad I raided their stash, tell ‘em to wait a few hours, and I’ll get it back to ‘em.”_

Maddie rolled her eyes in response. “You’re disgusting.”

“Whatever,” Vivienne spoke up to get them all back on track, “The cause, it doesn’t appear to be affecting him in any other negative way.” She turned to Godzilla. “Is that the case?”

 _“Yeah, aside from the whole being small problem, I’m feeling pretty good.”_ Godzilla rumbled.

Maddie looked at him inquiringly for a moment, knowing he could lie about being in pain, before turning to the others. “He _says_ he’s fine, but I don’t know.”

_“Wow, ye of little faith.”_

“So…” Mark rubbed his face. “What do we do? I mean, we can’t just _leave_ him like that!”

There were clueless mumblings from throughout the room.

“…I do believe that it is out of our control.” Serizawa said after a moment. “This could be a natural mechanism of his body, or it could be something else. Regardless, I doubt we have the technology to reverse the effect.”

“So what we just…” Mark frustratedly gestured, “Let him be!?”

“We might not have a choice.” Ilene sighed, flopping down. “I’ll talk with Mothra, see if perhaps she can be of help, but until then…” She gestured to Godzilla and Maddie. “He’s stuck as Minilla.”

Godzilla’s head instantly snapped to her, and he narrowed his eyes.

Maddie sighed, grabbing Godzilla to put him down, against his new protests that he didn’t want to leave her side, and stood up. “Look, I don’t care what we do, just make a plan to do it. I’m getting bored, and I can tell G is too. So, come up with something, and just let me know.” She glanced down at Godzilla and gestured. “Come on, you little gremlin,” She waved for him to follow, against the protests of the others, as she moved to the exit. “I got an NES in my room, and _Mario Bros.”_

 _“Oh boy, video games that I can play without a full day of having to set up a console!”_ Godzilla giddily replied, sprinting as he tried to keep up with Maddie.

“…I’ll put out an advisory.” Barnes said once they both vanished. “God only knows the trouble they’re going to cause.”

\-----------

The duo definitely earned some looks on their way back to the quarters. Many of them were from the half-incapacitated security teams, who quickly darted out of the way.

Maddie raised an eyebrow, and looked down at Godzilla, who was dragging his tail behind him as he walked. It was nice, being able to walk alongside him like that. A nice, normal, friendly thing that had been difficult but was no longer as hard.

Still, a question was on Maddie’s mind. “How come you went berserk on the guys sent to catch you?” She asked.

Godzilla looked up at her sardonically. _“You really have to ask that?”_

“Right, right,” Maddie quickly nodded, “I wouldn’t like being caught by somebody either.”

 _“…Actually, it was the cattle prods.”_ Godzilla shuddered. _“I can tank a bolt of lightning, but God Jesus, those things_ hurt.”

Maddie abruptly stopped. “Cattle prods? We have those?”

 _“Don’t get any funny ideas.”_ Godzilla tried to growl, but it instead came out sounding like the sound a small dog made when getting its hands on a favorite toy.

Maddie burst out laughing at that. Only maybe two feet tall at the most, the King of the Monsters, the Biggest thing on Earth, was now the size of a large Beagle. At least, the size of a plush toy.

…Wait, that gave her an idea.

“G…” Maddie smiled just thinking about it. “You wanna make some mayhem?”

 _“…depends on the mayhem.”_ Godzilla replied. _“I’m not going to try to see if I can still carry you.”_

Maddie rolled her eyes. “No, not _that_.” Though, she couldn’t lie, it was at the top of her list. “Come on-“

 _“Hey!”_ Godzilla yelped as Maddie picked him up. _“Ask me before you do that!”_

“Oh, shut up, you know you don’t mind.” Maddie told him, changing course from the quarters, to the exit out onto Monster Island. “Let’s go see Mothra.”

\----------

Mothra blinked idly, staring down at the tiny form in Maddie’s arms. “Interesting…” She finally commented after a moment, mandibles chittering. “I wasn’t aware your body was capable of gestation… and with Godzilla-“

 _“Ohmigod, quiet you overgrown lamp,”_ Godzilla squeaked.

“Um…” Maddie blinked. “No. You are _way_ off the mark. This _is_ Godzilla.”

Mothra looked stunned. “Curiouser and curiouser…” She tilted her head, turning. “Eleven, dear, come take a look at this.”

El looked down from where she was playing a game of cards with Rodan and furrowed her eyebrows. She set her hand down, as well as the hand being levitated in the air for Rodan and jumped down to look. While she was distracted, Rodan took that moment to blow on the cards, scattering them to the wind. They’d have to start the game again, which was especially a shame because El was so close to victory.

“Huh.” El blinked, reaching out to poke Godzilla. He huffed, recoiling, and she smiled. “Cute.” She took him from Maddie, cuddling him like he was an _actual_ teddy bear.

 _“…I appear to have discovered a new ability.”_ Godzilla dryly commented. _“The ability to make females fawn over me. Suck it, Mike.”_

Maddie snorted, holding back giggles, as El continued clutching him like a toddler would hold a favorite stuffed animal.

“How did this happen?” Mothra inquired, looking to Maddie.

“Don’t know,” Maddie answered, taking Godzilla back, causing El’s face to fall slightly. She huffed, rolling her eyes, allowing El to continue petting and scratching Godzilla like a puppy, as she continued talking to Mothra. “Magic, probably. We’ve got no clue.”

“I see,” Mothra nodded. “And so, you came to me to ask for help in rectifying the situation?”

“Well, yes and no- ack,” She spluttered, as Godzilla’s tail suddenly thwacked her reflexively on account of El’s hand scratching the underside of his jaw. “Watch it!”

 _“Sorry.”_ Godzilla mumbled.

Maddie sighed, continuing with her explanation. “We figured you could come up with a way to change him back, but we wanted to have some fun with it first.”

“Then I’ll see what I can do.” Mothra promised, quizzically tilting her head. “But… fun? What sort of fun?”

“…You feel like taking us to the mainland?”

\----------

 _“AAAAAAAAAAA-“_ Godzilla screamed as Maddie held him in place on top of Mothra. _“HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT!”_

“Calm down!” Maddie ordered. “You didn’t used to be afraid of heights!”

 _“THAT WAS BEFORE GHIDORAH DROPPED MY ASS FROM THE STRATOSPHERE!”_ Godzilla retorted, _“AND BEFORE I WAS THE SIZE OF AN OOMPA-LOOMPA!”_

Maddie huffed, rolling her eyes, but looped her arms around his front to at least make him feel better. El had said riding atop Mothra’s back was totally safe, impossible to fall, and Maddie trusted her judgement, but Godzilla on the other hand…

“Calm down.” She instructed calmly. “I’m right here. I won’t let you fall.”

Godzilla noticeably kept quiet for some moments, before sighing, leaning back into her like she had done when he was giant. _“Thanks…”_ He sighed. _“You know, sometimes I wonder why shit like this happens to_ me _.”_

“Bad luck, I suppose.” Maddie replied, looking up. “How much farther?” She directed to Mothra.

“Not much longer, little one.” Mothra informed. “Are you certain your father is okay with this?”

Please, Maddie hadn’t even told her father she was heading over to Monster Island. “Of course!” Maddie looked down to Godzilla, making a shushing gesture, causing both of them to descend into giggles.

\------------

One employee of the Petco in the town of Conyers, Georgia (there’s one birthplace of the original _Star Trek_ bridge crew crossed off, suck it, Dustin) was having a slow day. Nothing special, just slow days tended to happen.

Through the automatic doors walked a teenager, and although Douglas was LOATHE to deal with anything in customer service, let alone a teenager, he jumped at the chance for literally ANYTHING to do.

“Hi,” Douglas greeted, trying not to be creepy. “Welcome in, can I help you find something?”

The girl looked to him, surprised for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah, I’m looking for… dog stuff.”

“Dog stuff,” Douglas repeated, “Okay, well, we have plenty of that. What kind of dog are you shopping for?”

“…Might be easier if I show you.” She replied. “Pets allowed in?”

Douglas nodded accommodatingly. “Why certainly.”

“Great,” She turned to the door, and let out a piercing whistle. “G!” She clicked her tongue rapidly. “Come!”

Through the automatic door strode no lifeform Douglas had ever seen. It walked on two bipedal legs, had sharp spines running down its back, and looked more like a lizard than a dog.

“Ah!” Douglas jumped away. “That’s not a dog!”

“Of course he is!” She replied, kneeling next to her animal companion to pet his head. “Speak!”

The little gremlin made a face like he’d swallowed something sour. “Woof.”

Douglas stood with his jaw dropped, looking searchingly between the girl and her ‘pet.’

“See?” She smiled, gesturing. “Dog.”

Douglas looked up, before silently walking around to the back of the checkout line, flopping in a seat.

You couldn’t pay him enough to deal with this shit.

\--------

Maddie giggled uncontrollably, trying to keep it down, as she and Godzilla walked between the aisles. “Oh my God, did you see the look on his face!?”

 _“I know, right! I thought the guy was gonna have a stroke!”_ Godzilla laughed as deeply as he could, _“Oh man… Hey, you know what we should do!?”_

“What?”

 _“You call up a dog catcher, be like ‘Hey, I’ve got a dog here! It’s real mean!’ Then_ I _show up, and he has to try and get me cause, his job_ is _animal control, and we see who wins!”_

Maddie chuckled, shaking her head. “You have atomic breath, it’s not a fair fight.”

 _“That’s why we call him out in front of like a playground or something.”_ Godzilla retorted. _“The kids watching will give him an extra push cause I mean, he’s not gonna let himself get beat with a bunch of twerps egging him on.”_

“That sounds stupid…” Maddie told him. “Let’s do it! …after we figure out what toys we wanna get you.”

 _“Wait, you were serious about that? You know I’m not_ actually _a dog, right?”_

“Really?” Maddie asked with a sardonic smile, grabbing a squeaky toy, and squeezing it a few times. “Are you _sure_?”

_“…Alright, give it here.”_

\----------

Walking out of the Petco, the duo turned to walk down the streets with no other particular destination in mind. Mothra was hiding out in human form back at the Hardee’s.

As the two were walking down a residential road, however, they didn’t notice the unmarked vehicle tailing them.

Behind the drivers seat, the driver kept his eyes focused on Maddie intently, while the other man in the passenger seat, spoke into a car phone.

“We have visual on the target.” He said to the being on the other end of the line. “There’s no mistaking it, it’s her.”

 _“…Bring her in.”_ The slightly aged voice on the other end ordered. _“Whatever it takes.”_

He turned to the driver, and nodded.

With screeching tires, the van pulled up next to Maddie and Godzilla. Before either of them could react, the sliding doors opened, revealing a team of people in the back, men and women. They jumped out, grabbing Maddie.

Godzilla was quick to react, going for the legs of one of the people, only to be kicked away. He lay there on the ground, feeling like he’d just gone toe-to-toe with Ghidorah again, as the door slammed, and the van sped away.

 _“Shit… Shit!”_ Godzilla breathed, getting back to his feet. _“MADDIE!”_ He looked around frantically, wondering if someone, anyone, had seen the event occur.

Her and him had been the only ones on the street.

 _“FUCK!”_ Godzilla roared to himself, as the van continued to shrink. He needed to act _now_. Getting Mothra was an option, but she was miles away, by the time he got back to her to get her into action, the bastards would be gone.

He needed some way to catch up. It would be absolutely brilliant if he could fly.

...Godzilla’s eyes went the size of plates. That was it!

Maddie had wondered once if his atomic breath could be powerful enough to propel him like a rocket engine, but they’d never really gotten it to work, he was just too heavy.

But, if his atomic breath was even a fraction of the power it had been, he might just be light enough for it to work.

Godzilla turned around, and cursing himself for the monumentally stupid decision he was about to make, charged his breath. As he felt it hit the apex of its charge, he jumped, pulling his tail and legs up, before releasing it.

Like one of those rockets people made using diet coke and mentos, Godzilla went soaring.

 _“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“_ Godzilla screamed as he shot towards the vehicle like a bullet, slamming into the back doors and denting them.

\---------

All heads turned to the door, except for Maddie’s, who was already slipping unconscious.

“What the hell was that?” They wondered.

One of the men opened the door, looking out onto the empty street.

He scowled, shutting it.

\----------

Unbeknownst to the people inside, however, Godzilla was on the roof of their little vehicle, clinging onto the top for dear life, thankful that his claws were sharp enough to pierce the metal and keep him rooted as the van sped down the street.

He would just rip through the roof and deal with all of them inside himself, but the kick had proven that he was nowhere near as tough as he normally was.

And, call him paranoid, but he was squeamish about using his atomic breath in an enclosed space.

That didn’t mean he was going to go easy on them, though. Soon as they stopped and tried to unload… There’d be hell to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	29. The Littlest King, Part Three

Mark walked over to Rick’s station, curiously frowning as he looked over the scientist’s shoulder. He turned to Rick, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. “What is this?”

“The weather data, dude.” Rick answered.

“Alright…” Mark blinked. _“Why_ do you have the weather data pulled up?”

Rick rolled his eyes like it was obvious. “Alright, so, all of this didn’t start happening until Godzilla went out to fight Torrance last night, right?”

“Stupid name, but yeah.” Mark granted. “What does he have to do with it though?”

“Something about it last night wasn’t adding up, and it was starting to bug me,” Rick held up a finger, “Then, it hit me.” He turned to it. “Look at the wind speeds!”

“…yeah?” Mark cluelessly blinked.

Rick let out a suffering sigh, pointing at the column. “Look at that! For something as big as Torrance was, he’d need to be moving at least as fast as a Boeing 747 to get lift! The wind currents never even broke _double-digits!_ ”

Mark recoiled somewhat. He wasn’t an aerospace engineer, but even he knew that was odd. “Okay… how was it flying then.”

Rick smacked his lips, turning to the screen, as he began to think. “Every kaiju we’ve taken down so far has had unique abilities. Ghidorah had those gravity beams, Biollante could regenerate, Koburus had that venom that made everybody act like goddamn fools… We thought Torrance’s was creating electrical discharges, but what if that’s secondary?”

“Okay…” Mark granted. “What would be the main ability?”

\----------

“Mass shifting!” Rick scribbled the term on a whiteboard, pointing to the others assembled to make sure each one heard the term.

Vivienne blinked, standing with her arms crossed. “Mass shifting.”

“I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner!” Rick angrily smacked himself. “Torrance was amphibious, just like Godzilla was, only _he_ didn’t have legs suited to move across the land!” He exposited, scribbling a diagram on the board. “See, we _thought_ Torrance was using his electrical discharges to generate air currents powerful enough to create lift so he could fly, which isn’t _exactly_ correct, only one small part of the bigger picture! What he _actually_ does,” He explained, gesturing to the board, “Is more like a hot air balloon! See, if he was the size of a normal manta ray, he obviously wouldn’t be able to fly, but, if he were able to change his body’s size so that there was a greater surface area, but his mass remained the same… He’d become about as light as a block of Styrofoam, and thus, is capable of flight _without_ breaking highway speeds.” He clicked the cap back onto the top of his dry erase marker, throwing it to the side.

“Very interesting, Doctor Stanton,” Serizawa raised an eyebrow, “But is there a reason you are telling us this now, after Torrance is dead?”

“Well, Godzilla went out to fight him last night, and then suddenly _God_ zilla became _Min_ illa.” Rick threw his hands out, looking around. “It’s obvious! Torrance must’ve somehow been able to not only use the ability on _himself_ but direct it to others. And _that,_ is how Godzilla got into the state he is now. And the key to changing him back.”

“Hold on,” Ilene cut him off, “If it works the way you proposed, Godzilla should still weigh 99 _thousand tons._ And Maddie picked him up like a puppy.”

“W-Well, think about it.” Rick told her. “Mass and energy are interchangeable, according to Einstein, and energy can’t be created or destroyed, so all of Godzilla’s normal mass is _some_ where…”

“I want something less vague than that, Doctor,” Serizawa crossed his arms.

Rick let a frustrated sigh die in his throat, throwing up his hand. “If I _had_ to guess, it’s one of two options. It’s being stored in Torrance’s body, like how some animals build up blubber for the winter. In _that_ case, I think it would just be as simple as stimulating whatever organ is responsible and directing it back at Godzilla. Or, option two…”

Serizawa stared him down. “And what is that?”

“Option two…” Rick cringed. “It’s gone.”

\-------------

Godzilla couldn’t be certain of where they were heading, but Lord Jesus, the place was far.

Throughout the entire ride, however, he never once faltered, never once lost his grip. Whoever these fuckers were, they were messing with _his_ Maddie. His Little Queen.

…Well, he was the little one at the moment, but still.

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

Passing through Emory, taking a long, winding road, the van eventually came up on a building, and Godzilla’s heart stopped.

It was the lab. That… _FUCKING_ Lab! That shouldn’t have been possible, he’d smashed the goddamn place to bits after getting back home with El, never mind the fact that they were in a different state!

Jesus H Tapdancing Christ on a bike, he was going to have a panic attack, he was actually going to have a panic attack!

Wait, wait… calm down. Godzilla had to remind himself to calm down. The sign read ‘Georgia Mental Health Institute.’ He’d heard about it before. The place was a psychiatric hospital, and not one of those bedlam houses either, but a properly run hospital. But why would kidnappers take Maddie to a hos-

 _Shit_. The place was, in all likelihood, government funded. Godzilla was no idiot, while he knew that Owens and his associates fit a very loose definition of ‘good,’ there were other elements in the government that knew about El.

And since Maddie looked like El… it didn’t take a genius to understand what had happened.

Godzilla growled, as the van pulled into a lone parking space around back, and he jumped off as stealthily as he could, moving swiftly into some bushes to hide himself.

They weren’t going to experiment on Maddie. Not on his watch. But, if those guys had been sent for El, it was a likelihood that they’d been packing equipment to knock her out. Godzilla _may_ have been able to get the people with guns who were probably skulking around (which he didn’t feel good about, given he was still reeling from the kick), but if he did that, there was no way he was going to be able to get her up in enough time to make a getaway.

Sure enough, when the door on the side of the van opened, there were two doctors already wheeling out a stretcher from the building, and the assholes in the van placed the unconscious Maddie upon it, wheeling her inside.

Godzilla growled. The place may have been a hospital, but it was clear some shady stuff was going down inside. When he rescued Maddie, they’d have to take the rest of it down.

For now, he just checked his surroundings as he walked around the side of the building.

He’d hoped the air conditioning unit was on the ground. Damn his luck.

Godzilla sighed, and charged another atomic breath blast, aiming straight down to propel himself up to the roof.

It was too close for comfort, and he had to pull himself over the ledge to make it up, but he’d done it. Good thing he was at a psychiatric hospital, the people who’d claimed to see a crocodile walking like a person shooting himself up like a rocket to the roof would need the help.

Walking over to the unit, Godzilla found one of the ducts coming off and going deeper into the building. Bracing himself so he wouldn’t be blasted away by his own fire, he took aim at the vent, and blasted through, crawling inside.

 _“Do do do…”_ Godzilla hummed the theme song to Mission: Impossible to himself as he crawled down the dark duct. _“Do do do… Do do do… do do… Don’t worry Mads. I’m coming.”_

\----------

“I’ll need to get a look at the corpse,” Rick stated, getting his gear together, throwing on a coat to keep warm for the ride. “I don’t wanna just go poking at it and hope for the best, you know?”

“Cleanup teams are already there.” Ilene informed. “Its corpse is probably halfway to the arctic by now.”

“Then we’ll do it at the arctic!” Rick replied frustratedly. “Mark,” He looked to him, “Find your kid and tell her to get Godzilla and get geared up for a little trip.”

Mark crossed his arms. “How about you ask nicely?”

Rick scowled. “’Nice’ is for people who are too stupid to make the world bend to them, not me.”

Mark just stared.

Rick sighed. “Please?”

Mark nodded, uncrossing his arms as he turned to exit.

\-------

“Maddie?” Mark called, walking into their quarters. “Madison?”

His brows furrowed as the place didn’t looked disturbed beyond the normal clutter that he and his daughter generated. Odd. If Maddie and Godzilla had come back here, there almost certainly would’ve been a bigger mess, given their behavior so far.

Deciding to take a peek into her room, but still knocking just in case, Mark looked inside, and only got more lost when that room was totally empty.

Huh…

It was at that time Mark decided to check Maddie’s other usual haunts, figuring that she would’ve shown Godzilla around them.

\--------

“Okay, so this hand,” El instructed, showing it off to Rodan to make sure he understood, “Is called the Royal Flush.”

 _“’Flush?’”_ Rodan gagged. _“Isn’t that what you fleshies do after… relieving yourselves?”_

“It’s the highest hand in the game.” El continued, unabated by his squawks. “Nothing beats it. That means this time, you get the pot.” She explained, psychically pushing one of the enormous, mango-like fruits picked from the trees dotted around the island towards him.

 _“Oh, goodie.”_ Rodan half-sarcastically replied, as he chomped down into the fruit. _“I must say, this… ‘Poker’ is quite a challenge. I’ve not seen games require this level of deception and consideration in… well, ever.”_

“Just wait until you try chess.” El replied, shuffling the deck so she could deal a new hand.

_“Ah, yes, that’s the one with the little circle tiles with images on them. Mothra’s followers do so love that one.”_

El blinked. “Um… no. That’s not it at all. I don’t know the one you’re talking about, actually.”

 _“Then perhaps_ I _shall teach that one to you, some time.”_ Rodan offered. _“Rule one: Do not underestimate the importance of the White Lotus tile.”_

El raised a single eyebrow as she began to deal again. Sounds of leaves crunching under somebody’s foot caught her attention, and she turned to look, surprised.

“Mister Russell,” El recognized in surprise. The man never came out to Monster Island. “What are you doing out here?”

“Have either of you seen Maddie?” He asked. “I can’t seem to find her or Godzilla anywhere.”

El looked to Rodan, and the firebird shrugged.

_“I’m not telling him, it’s not like he could understand me.”_

El nodded, looking back to Mark. “They went to the mainland with Mothra. No clue when they’ll be back.”

“Great,” Mark frustratedly rubbed his face. “That’s… great.”

“Don’t worry,” El told him, turning back to continue her game with Rodan, “They’ll probably be back soon.”

\---------

When Maddie awoke, it was in a panic. She was in a plain, empty room with only a metal table, something that looked like it belonged in a police station. Was that who had taken her?

No, no… Those guys were wearing suits. Police didn’t wear suits.

Furiously shaking her arms, she tried to move, only to be confronted with the fact that she was strapped to the chair.

“What is this!?” Maddie demanded. “Where am I!?” She let out a rueful laugh. “Oh, you idiots fucked up _bad_. When my friends get their hands on you-!”

The door to the room opened, and someone stepped inside. He was a tall, thin-built man with grey hair. He didn’t look so old as to be ancient, but he was definitely getting up there in age, and like the people who had grabbed her, he was wearing a suit.

The man very obviously tried to project an outwardly sense of kindness, but it was clear just by looking at him that he was anything but.

The man walked around the room, looking at Maddie like she was a sample under a microscope.

Maddie scowled. Every second that went by, her feelings shifted from fear more over to annoyance. “Who the hell do you think you are?” She demanded. When no response came, she shook with fury. “Answer me! I swear to God, when I get out of this-“

“Hm. Your language skills have developed quite a bit.” The man commented clinically. “Full sentences… amazing.”

Maddie felt a chill run through her being. “…Who are you?”

The man tilted his head inquisitively. “Memory seems to be an issue. Unfortunate.” He looked to the chair across from her and sat down. “We’ll test your abilities in a moment. For now… I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, Eleven.”

\-----------

Godzilla couldn’t be sure of where he was going, or where he would end up. They didn’t exactly place navigation signs on the inside of air ducts. It took some guessing and some near misses where he was almost spotted, before he emerged in a dark office.

Peeking through to make sure there was nobody around, Godzilla emerged, and took a look around.

Damnit, he was running around like a headless chicken. No way to know where he was going or where Maddie was.

It made him want to screech with rage. He forced it to die in his mouth, however, knowing that it would only attract attention.

Something laying on the desk nearby caught his attention, however.

Jumping down from the vent, Godzilla silently moved towards the desk, getting to the top by way of the office chair in front of it.

Using his spines to generate a small glow, he looked over the contents, and recoiled.

It was a patient file. For _Maddie._ No, not Maddie, _El_ judging by the shaved head in the old picture. Godzilla frowned, looking it over.

 _‘Jane Brenner.’_ The text read. _‘DOB: July 16, 1971. SEX: F. SYMPTOMS: Patient experiences rampant paranoia, psychotic breaks with reality, schizophrenia-like symptoms, and an insistence she can read the minds of others.’_

Godzilla frowned in confusion. That file just outed El’s powers. Why would whoever wrote the file put that in? Unless… The file was a fake, so they’d have an excuse to keep El here, and Maddie was just in the wrong place to be mistaken for her.

But that just begged the question. Who was behind this? Maddie had only just been taken, so that file couldn’t have been making the rounds just yet. But there was a full one here, including medical history and ‘treatment’ plans.

Whose office was this?

Godzilla looked around, intensifying the strength of his spines’ glow, to see the pictures and other documents around.

It hit him like a truck, and when it did, he went back to the file to double-check what he’d read.

He had to get to Maddie. _Now_.

\-----------

“It’s been so many years since we’ve last spoken, Eleven.” The aging man spoke to Maddie, looking her in the eyes like a creep. “I’m so very glad to finally see you again.”

“Um…” Maddie tried to back away. “I have _no_ clue who you are.”

The man tilted his head, looking at her sardonically. “Come now, Eleven. I know it’s been some time, but you really can’t expect me to believe you’ve forgotten your Papa.”

She blinked, staring at the man. Maddie had heard El mutter that word sometimes, in her nightmares, when she and Maddie had their occasional sleepovers. Maddie _thought_ those nightmares were about losing Hopper, as Godzilla had filled her in, but no. Joyce, and even El herself, had said that Hopper and this… ‘Papa’ were two separate people, although both dead. Was that this man?

Actually, now that she thought about it… There wasn’t really a lot Maddie knew about El. Everybody was so tight-lipped about it, including Godzilla, though she knew he knew the full story.

What the hell was going on?

Maddie steeled herself, glaring at the fucker. “I don’t know who you are, but I’ll tell you this… My name is Madison Russell, and you’re making a _very_ big mistake.”

The corners of his mouth tilted up, as though he found it funny.

“You’re very sick, Eleven… but don’t worry, we’ll make you all better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	30. The Littlest King, Part Four

Hours passed in the stark, windowless rooms of the lab that Maddie found herself in. Shortly after the bastard had shown his face, he’d placed an empty Coke can on the table in front of her, while scientists placed a piece of strange headgear on her against her will, and then acted like she knew what she was supposed to do.

Maddie knew about El’s powers sure, but trying to crush a can herself? Not happening.

Still, instead of acting like she was physically incapable of crushing the can, Maddie stared at Brenner, and spat.

The white-haired man looked sternly disappointed, like that was supposed to scare her.

“Eleven…” Brenner stared her down. “You know you must do as you are told. If you don’t, that makes you bad, and do you remember what happens to bad people?”

Maddie looked him up and down, unimpressed. “…That supposed to scare me?” She snorted. Rule number one of any sort of people trying to get anything out of you, you were the most valuable person in the room. Irreplaceable. By God, she was going to own this, and make their lives living hell while she was at it. “The last guy who tried to threaten me was about half a kilometer taller than you.”

Brenner seethed, keeping an outwardly calm face, but obviously very angry. Then, he turned to the scientists. “Take her to the isolation room.”

“Isolation?” Maddie repeated, as two men built like brick walls grabbed her by the arms, dragging her out. She kicked and struggled just to make a point, but she wasn’t worried. “Whoa, hey, genius plan! Let somebody who wants to be left alone be left alone! You’ll have to try harder than that to freak me out! I rode in a spaceship built from scrap all the way out to Pluto, you assholes don’t scare me!”

Brenner stood with his arms crossed, looking sternly, and all Maddie could do was stick out her tongue and blow a raspberry.

The look on his face was totally worth it, even as they threw her into a room with no lights, windows, or furniture the size of a closet, and locked the door behind her.

“…ah.” Maddie muttered to herself, blinking to try and get her eyes to adjust to the newfound darkness. She could make out the corners of the walls now, but really nothing else. “Oh well.” She sat down, pulling her legs to her chest, as she closed her eyes, and focused her thoughts on Godzilla.

He’d come to rescue her. She knew he would.

\-----------

The metal clanged and banged as Godzilla crawled down the air ducts, trying not to scrape his dorsal spines along the top. This place was a maze, yes, but he could recognize Maddie’s scent anywhere, even amongst the stink of the hospital.

Admittedly, however, though most of his mind was devoted to tracking down Maddie, there were other things going through his mind.

How had Brenner survived the Demogorgon attack? What the hell was he doing in Georgia of all places? And why did he wait so long to try and recapture El?

Godzilla was confused… but ultimately, it didn’t matter to him. He was going to kill Brenner, slowly and painfully, for thinking he could lay a hand on Maddie.

…that is, if he could find them, first.

Coming to an intersection, Godzilla stopped and sniffed. Maddie’s scent was stronger than it had been, so that meant she was probably on this level, somewhere. After a second of keeping his senses open, Godzilla noted it was coming from the duct to his left, so he proceeded down that one, coming to a vent.

Ripping through it with his hands, Godzilla crawled out into the hallway, and stood tall, looking around.

His eyes fell on a doctor standing there, frozen in terror, and Godzilla froze as well.

It was a few tense moments as both organisms’ brains went from ‘terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought’ to ‘holy shit, I have to do something _now_.’

The doctor began to run, sprinting to pull an alarm on the wall.

Godzilla was faster, and bit into the man’s leg. He would’ve felt bad but rationalized it away by figuring that whoever was on this level, certainly not on the plans for the building and not accessible to the public, they were in on Brenner’s plans.

When Godzilla clamped down, the man let out an agonized scream, and sure enough, he could hear the thumping of boots against the floor, as what could only be security personnel came to check on the disturbance.

Godzilla drew a breath and rolled his shoulders. Looks like it was gonna be a fight, as usual.

\--------

“Alright,” Rick muttered, holding a Geiger counter in his hand, as he ran across the icy open ground of the ‘Kaiju Graveyard.’ Its actual name was Outpost Omega, but ‘The Graveyard’ was a much more descriptive term, in Rick’s opinion. Every monster that Godzilla, Mothra, or Rodan had taken down was recovered and sent there for study.

A brain-shaped cluster of plant cells was purposefully being exposed to as much cold air as possible, while workers removed the new sprouts on the surface to abate its growth. A sarcophagus of metal surrounded Koburus’s body, under construction, as the people inside worked to understand the organism’s unusual venom.

And Ghidorah’s last intact head stood supported in a skeleton of scaffolding and catwalks, while the rest of the body was being buried into the ice, the scientists working to understand just what made Ghidorah able to manipulate gravity.

For a micro-instant, Mark could’ve sworn Ghidorah’s dead, beady eyes were staring at him, before he turned to look at Rick. “What’d you say?”

“I’m getting some radiation reading from this bad boy.” Rick answered, looking at Torrance’s corpse. The arrival was so new, all the base had was a single platform to prevent it from cracking the ice, and none of the usual equipment set up to begin studying it in-depth as of yet. “How’d those guys get it out here?” He asked.

“A fleet of helicopters,” Vivienne answered, “The usual method. Why?”

“Then that proves it!” Rick pumped his fist. “All of Godzilla’s mass has been transferred to Torrance!” He sat the Geiger counter down, looking around for something.

“What’re you doing?” Mark demanded.

“Looking for a diving suit!” Rick shot back, practically turning over the base.

“A diving suit!?” Vivienne spluttered.

“Well, two diving suits!” Rick replied, “And one of these!” He said, holding up a battery-powered reciprocating saw.

“Why,” Mark directed to Rick as he ran past, shoving the power tool into his arms, “Do you need two diving suits!?”

“Well, I can’t just make all the delicate hookups with a remote-controlled car, now can I!?” Rick retorted.

Mark blinked, starting at Rick blankly, before it finally hit him as to what Rick was getting at.

“Oh, no, I am _not_ -“

“Come on, man, you’re the biologist!” Rick replied, “This stuff is right up your alley!”

“This isn’t _Fantastic Voyage!”_ Mark angrily retorted.

“Come on!” Rick egged him on, as he threw Mark the gear. “Where’s your sense of- *BURP* -adventure!?”

“Are you drunk!?” Vivienne bellowed.

“Of course I’m drunk, there’s no way in hell I’m doing this shit sober!”

\------------

Mothra was starting to get worried. Godzilla and Madison had said their trip to the pet store wouldn’t be that long, two hours, at the very most.

It had been four, and the two still weren’t back, and Mothra had already been thrown out of the restaurant for loitering unlawfully. Something was very clearly wrong at this point.

So, finding somewhere to sit, Mothra closed her eyes, and began to reach her mind out, searching for the familiar presences. To any passing her by, she looked just like any other woman, waiting for someone to show up.

After reaching out her mind, however, Mothra found nothing. Blinking, and figuring that Godzilla and Maddie must’ve just been out of range, she searched further, extending even farther.

Soon, she felt their presences. Maddie’s calm and composed demeanor, though defiant and a little bit scared, as well as Godzilla’s, furious and even more terrified than Maddie.

What in Her name was going on?

Deciding she would get answers upon finding the duo, Mothra stood up, and began to glow. For the other humans surrounding her, it would look as though the mysterious, angelic woman suddenly disappeared in a column of light, while the giant moth kaiju flew away overhead, gently stirring the air as she moved.

\---------

When the security teams had spotted Godzilla, instantly, the hospital descended into pandemonium. Guns were, predictably, off the table not only since they were in an enclosed space, but because this was an actual, civilian medical facility, despite this wing most probably being sealed off from the public.

Which made what Godzilla needed to do even easier.

Godzilla tore through -literally, biting into peoples’ legs to send them falling- the facility with a vengeance, offering no mercy to the people here as he took down the oncoming teams sent to stop him like it was nothing.

Sure, he may have been small, but he was still strong enough to bite into flesh, and he was clever enough to see when people with actual _weapons_ were getting close to take them down first with blasts from his atomic breath.

As the people inside ran in terror, Godzilla let out a small nuclear pulse from his spines, knocking out the lights on this level, stranding all down here with him in darkness.

Godzilla turned a corner and saw a group of people trying to get into the elevator, stranded as it took ages to arrive. He let out a low snarl, and all of them froze, slowly turning.

He flashed his dorsal spines yet again, and screeched, blasting the atomic breath at them in one large, sweeping motion.

It wasn’t strong enough to kill them, just make life really, really painful, but that was good enough. As Godzilla kept his ear out, he noticed that the panicked running and screams had died down. He’d cleared the way.

Time to find Maddie.

\----------

Maddie was absent-mindedly tracing her finger along her leg, when the lock clicked, and the thick metal door to her prison began to open. At first, she thought it might’ve been Godzilla, but reality won out, and she was met with the face with Brenner.

The man turned to two of his cronies and gestured.

In response, the two goons entered the cell, and once again grabbed Maddie by the arms.

“OW, HEY!” Maddie kicked and writhed, to no success. “GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME!”

Brenner calmly crossed his arms as Maddie was dragged outside, and he kept a stern look upon his face, even as he walked to keep up. She was turned around to keep eye contact with him, and instead of giving the bastard the satisfaction of an emotional response, she glared right back all the time.

“I don’t know how you brought that… creature here, Eleven.” Brenner addressed. “But it is quite a remarkable specimen. What is it?”

Creature? Maddie’s breath hitched as she realized it must’ve been Godzilla, or Mothra, or Rodan, whoever, come to help her out of this mess.

So, Maddie smiled, and laughed. “Buddy, it’s your worst fucking nightmare.”

Brenner tilted his head again, looking displeased. Yet another point in Maddie’s column. “Why are you insistent upon using such foul words? You must understand, it does not make you sound any smarter.”

“Oh, I know.” Maddie grinned. “But it pisses you off, and that’s good enough for me!”

Brenner let out an angry breath, clenching his teeth, but it all melted away. “No matter. Once we get to our new home, we can worry about your… disobedience there.”

Maddie recoiled, confused. “New… _what_?”

“You’ve compromised us.” Brenner disapprovingly shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be punished for that as well.”

Maddie huffed, rolling her eyes. “News flash: You don’t scare me. Actually, wait, you know what?” She began, getting angry. If this guy had some twisted connection to El, Maddie was going to use that to deliver the bastard the worst verbal beatdown he’d ever gotten. “You’re so not scary, it makes me laugh! You know what you look like when you’re trying to be ‘stern?’ You look constipated!”

“Enough.” Brenner ordered. “That’s enough, Eleven.”

“No!” Maddie shot back. “You know, I don’t think that’s a word you haven’t heard from ‘me’ often enough, so here it is again! NO!”

“ELEVEN!” Brenner bellowed.

“I’m not scared of you!” Maddie snarled. “I will _never_ be scared of you for as long as I live! You don’t have power over me! You don’t have power over anyone!”

Brenner’s rage evidently got the better of him now, and he raised his hand to strike.

For a scant moment, Maddie thought she’d gone too far. But before Brenner could even wind up, a loud, screeching bellow echoed throughout the hallway, and they all stopped.

Maddie could see the blue glow cutting through the dim corridors, and she smiled.

“Oh…” Maddie giggled, as Brenner slowly turned around. “You’ve _Fucked_ up now!”

Godzilla, despite only standing at two feet tall, radiated fury and danger.

For a tense moment, all were stood still, before the men holding Maddie tried to move again, and Godzilla leapt into action.

The small King of the Monsters charged, mouth glowing blue and radiating power like smoke, before he slammed into the back of one of the men.

Both recoiled, releasing Maddie, as Godzilla bit down into the man’s head, burning through. Godzilla turned to the other man, and roared, firing his atomic breath into his heart.

Maddie wanted to feel bad. But, the two were apparently willing to help Brenner in whatever sinister machinations he had, and that meant harming a (mostly) defenseless girl. Let them die.

Godzilla huffed, as he heard the clacking of shoes on the floor, belonging to the rapidly retreating Brenner. The King of the Monsters gritted his teeth in rage, and clenched his fists, blasting Brenner in his legs, sending the man to the ground.

With all the other immediate threats vanquished, Maddie and Godzilla took their time, as they walked over to the man on the ground, writhing in agony.

Brenner rolled over, wheezing in pain, looking up at Maddie. “Eleven, please… I can help you. Show you how to use your abilities to their fullest.”

Maddie blinked, staring down at him. She didn’t know the extent of Brenner and El’s relationship, but Maddie did know one thing. El was most certainly happier now.

“I don’t need you.” Maddie stated, turning away.

Godzilla took that as his cue, and stepped onto Brenner’s chest, charging one last atomic breath blast, aimed right for his head.

This time, there was no mistaking it. Brenner was dead.

Godzilla stepped off the body and looked to Maddie. _“You okay?”_

Maddie let out a shaky sigh, nodding. “Yeah.” At least she didn’t have to actually _watch_ her best friend kill the guy. “How do we get out of this place?”

 _“Dunno,”_ Godzilla shrugged, _“Thought I might try shooting my way out. Mix things up a little.”_

Maddie smiled, shaking her head, as she reached her arm down to Godzilla, offering him a perch in her arms.

With her best friend in her arms, Maddie walked to the elevator, and took it up.

\--------

Getting outside was actually rather easy. Once they got onto the actual, hospital levels, it was as easy as walking out the front door.

By that point, Mothra was already coming in for a landing, chittering anxiously.

“Madison, Godzilla,” She worriedly addressed, “Are the two of you okay? You had me quite worried!”

“We’re fine, big gal.” Maddie smiled in response to the questioning, climbing onto Mothra’s back.

“What happened?” Mothra continued. “How did the two of you end up all the way out here?”

“That’s… a story.” Maddie shivered, now feeling really, _really_ off-center once the adrenaline wore off. “Can we… just go home, please?”

Mothra thought about continuing to ask again but figured it best not to press the issue. “Certainly.” She obliged, flapping her wings to take off.

As Mothra soared through the air, Maddie closed her eyes, laying her head upon the smooth part of Godzilla’s head, sighing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	31. The Littlest King, Part Five

The first thing that happened when they got back to Castle Bravo was the questioning. Mark, Rick, and Vivienne had gone to the Kaiju Graveyard to examine Torrance, leaving the others to ask just where Maddie had gone, why her arms were covered in bruises, and why Godzilla was covered in blood.

Maddie had given them the cliff notes version first, and once that initial shock wore off, immediately called back Mark, leaving just Rick and Vivienne to go rooting around inside the giant corpse to find a way to fix this.

Maddie stood calmly, collecting herself, as she explained all that had happened. Of who was responsible. And, she noticed upon mentioning Brenner, Joyce went red with fury, and El went pale, like she’d seen the devil himself.

Once they’d gotten through to the end however, upon informing them of Brenner’s _verifiable_ death this time, the tense mood evaporated, somewhat. Even El looked like a colossal, incalculable weight had been removed from her being, and like she was about to cry with tears of sheer relief.

“I can’t imagine how scary that must’ve been.” Joyce quietly murmured. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Mark nodded seriously as well. “And you’re sure the bastard’s dead?”

Godzilla growled, and though Mark couldn’t understand his exact words, picked up the general meaning of them.

“Good.” Mark growled. “Only thing I’m disappointed about is not getting to kill him myself.”

“Get in line.” Joyce stated, holding El to her protectively. “I’m gonna have to put in a call to Owens. He told me Brenner was dead… He and I have got a _lot_ to talk about.” And that didn’t sound like a threat, but a promise.

“Alright…” Maddie murmured, holding Godzilla closer than she ever had. “If it’s all the same to you guys… I’m gonna go get a shower.”

Mark gently nodded. “You go on ahead. Get some rest, too. You’ve earned it.”

\--------

Maddie sat soaking in the hot water, scrubbing furiously to get the grime off her skin. The blood, the soot from the atomic breath, all of it. True to what she had feared, the moment the adrenaline wore off, the true ramifications of the events that occurred had hit her.

She’d been kidnapped, by someone who _knew_ El and what she was capable of, and was prepared to torture, experiment, and make the rest of her life a living hell to get what he wanted out of her. Maddie just narrowly escaped thanks to Godzilla, but if she hadn’t…

She’d be staring on the inside of a cell right now.

Maddie shivered just thinking about it.

But, it was in the past now. Godzilla had saved her. Speaking of Godzilla…

 _“Hey, Mads!”_ Godzilla excitedly addressed, swimming around with his dorsal plates sticking from the water. _“Who am I!?”_

Maddie smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Jaws?”

 _“Ding, ding, ding!”_ Godzilla surfaced, free of his own grime, and spat out a small stream of water. _“Now what am I?”_ He scowled, making a sour, grumpy face.

“Um…” Maddie blinked, tilting her head, and raising an eyebrow. “I don’t know. What are you?”

 _“I’m your dad if he finds out we shared a bath!”_ Godzilla burst out in unrestrained laughter, splashing the water with his tail.

Maddie chuckled as well. “Okay, that’s actually pretty funny. Do you think he’d actually be mad?”

 _“I don’t know. I am but a mere lizard… dog… thing.”_ Godzilla replied. _“Woof. Blech.”_ He spat out the water. _“This water tastes like ass.”_

“It’s filled with blood and dirt, what do you expect?”

\----------

After the bath, and another shower since Maddie still hadn’t felt fully clean, she flopped down on her bed, letting out a long, weary sigh.

 _“You okay?”_ Godzilla asked, crawling up onto the bed next to her.

Maddie’s head turned over to him. “Did I say you could come up here?”

 _“Like I even have to ask.”_ Godzilla snorted. _“What’s yours is mine. It’s like communism, except better.”_

Maddie rolled her eyes but smiled. “Fine…” She rubbed her face as something crossed her mind. “That guy…”

_“Brenner.”_

“Brenner…” Maddie furrowed her eyebrow. “You guys sure do know a lot about him. Stuff you’re not telling me.”

Godzilla sighed, curling up next to her like a dog. _“…You remember how I said I got stuck in the Upside Down? How it was the thing responsible for me becoming… this?”_

“Yeah.” Maddie nodded.

 _“Well… Brenner was the guy in charge of the lab.”_ Godzilla explained. _“He’s the one who ordered El to try to talk to it, and worse. He practically tortured her, pushed her to her near breaking point, and the whole time, tried to set himself up as a father figure so she wouldn’t ever disobey. She doesn’t like to talk about it, but I can see it in her eyes… what you experienced today was just a_ sliver _of what they put her through.”_

“Jesus…” Maddie covered her mouth.

 _“That’s why we call her El.”_ Godzilla murmured. _“It’s short for Eleven.”_

“He thought I was her…” Maddie recognized. “My God… they didn’t even give her a _name_.”

 _“No.”_ Godzilla sadly concurred. _“But she’s all right now. She’s got an adoptive mom who loves her, and one of the best families on Earth.”_

“Yeah.” Maddie smiled. “Hard to say your family sucks when one of them’s King of the Monsters.” She glanced down at him. “G?”

_“What’s up?”_

“Thanks.” Maddie pressed her lips gently to the top of his head. “For getting me out of there.”

 _“Ah, don’t mention it.”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“I’d be a shitty friend if I just left you there.”_

“…I’ve been thinking about that.” Maddie told him.

Godzilla looked up at her, inquiring. _“What do you mean?”_

“The older Godzilla called me your little queen,” Maddie began, “I spend all my time with you, and we _did_ just get done taking a bath together… Don’t you think it’s time for a little upgrade?”

 _“How… how do you mean?”_ Godzilla asked.

“I don’t just want to be your _best_ friend,” Maddie replied, “I wanna be your _girl_ friend.”

 _“I-but-we-we-we,”_ Godzilla ineffectually stuttered, _“Maddie, I could_ crush _you!”’_

“Not right now, you can’t.” Maddie retorted. “Besides, if that was really what you were worried about, would you really let me sleep on top of you?”

 _“…no.”_ Godzilla admitted. _“I just… I don’t know how it can work.”_

“It already does.” Maddie told him. “It’s not that much different from before, just… official now.”

 _“Hm. I guess so.”_ Godzilla smiled to himself, closing his eyes and trying to keep himself rolled up while he tried to get warm. _“Yeah… girlfriend… Goodnight, Mads.”_

Maddie smiled, pulling him close. “Nighty-night, G.”

\-----------

When Mark went to bed that night, he checked on Maddie first. Peeking his head in, he saw his daughter laying on her side, with Godzilla curled into her stomach, both sleeping soundly.

Corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly, Mark withdrew, leaving the odd couple to their peace.

\--------

The next few days hadn’t passed nearly as eventfully as the first few. Godzilla and Maddie would roam around, watching movies, raiding the mess hall for junk food, and playing pranks on people. There was one particular instance where they got Doctor Howard good by making her think that Godzilla was pregnant, an incident that ended with the two being thrown out of the sickbay giggling.

By day five, however, it was time for things to go back to normal.

A group of them flew out to Torrance’s body, Godzilla and Maddie included, and they looked at the dead animal with pity. It had, in all likelihood, died scared and far from home, it didn’t deserve to have its corpse further desecrated.

But they needed to get Godzilla back.

“Okay, I can direct the mass effect charge through Torrance’s nerve endings,” Rick explained, typing at a computer console as his breath crystalized in the air. “Whenever you’re ready, little guy, just walk up and touch the skin, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Godzilla nodded, glancing at Torrance, before looking up at Maddie.

“Scared?” Maddie asked.

 _“No… It’s… Is it bad that I don’t wanna turn back?”_ Godzilla asked.

“Understandable.” Maddie replied. “But why?”

 _“These past few days… You and I have been able to do things we never could when I was big.”_ Godzilla said. _“When I go back, you’ll be an ant compared to me…”_

Maddie thinned her lips. “Will you still love me?”

_“Of course.”_

Maddie smiled, throwing her arms around him, and kissing him on his forehead. “That’s all that matters.”

 _“Alright…”_ Godzilla took a breath, and wiggled out of Maddie’s grasp, stepping up to the platform. He pressed his hand to the skin, and looked over to Rick.

Rick typed in some commands into the system, and in response, a charge of electricity danced through power cablings into the metal spikes being driven into Torrance’s body. The corpse twitched from the electrical onslaught, before suddenly, a loud bang rang throughout the area, and the ground quaked.

Godzilla, in the span of a second, had gone back to normal size. Thankfully, none of them had been standing underfoot, thanks to Rick predicting that something like that would happen and setting up a safe distance away.

Standing back at building-height, Godzilla, disoriented, shook his head, blinking as he rubbed his forehead.

 _“Oh, God…”_ Godzilla muttered. His entire body felt like it had been stretched and pulled. _“That was a bit more… violent than last time.”_

“How are you feeling?” Maddie asked, looking up at him with a smile.

 _“Good enough…”_ Godzilla blinked, as she proceeded up to him in the manner that meant she wanted up onto him. He lowered his hand, and Maddie jumped onto it, moving swiftly up.

“Great.” Maddie replied. “Now since you’re back to normal, how about a swim in the Caribbean? I’ve always wanted to visit the coral reefs.”

Godzilla huffed, rolling his eyes. Back to normal for all but a few seconds, and already, she was bossing him around.

It was good to be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	32. The Monster of Monsters, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddie and El had been lying to the others when they said that their search across all the different Earths for their Godzilla took two weeks. In truth... it was much longer. And during that time, they went on many different excursions. But there's one they don't like to look back on.
> 
> Here it is.

Maddie and El had been lying when they said it was two weeks. During that stretch of time where Godzilla was lost in the Elder Godzilla’s world, they hadn’t been searching for two weeks. Nor a month.

It had been _a year_ of bouncing from place-to-place. It’s why Maddie seemingly jumped ahead in age from twelve-approaching-thirteen to fourteen-approaching fifteen. Time didn’t exactly flow the right way in between all the different worlds.

Indeed, that search was long… far longer than either of them had anticipated. And it had been strange indeed. They saw a world where the incumbent Godzilla had only taken up the title after his own father sacrificed his life to destroy something named ‘Destoroyah.’ Others where Godzilla was a force of feral destruction, only possessing enough mental faculties to be able to experience the pain of his torturous existence and nothing else.

And there was another. One that they don’t talk about. Even after getting back home.

As the air rippled, depositing the two onto land, Maddie and El shook off their disorientation, looking around.

It was dark out.

“Great…” Maddie sighed. “Dark and creepy, I love it.” She sarcastically muttered, looking around. “Where’d we wind up?”

El looked around, finding a speed limit sign. “America.” She recognized, pointing at it. She looked back and forth glancing up and down the road. “Look. Hawkins, five miles.”

Maddie’s brow furrowed, and she glanced over to El for an explanation. “Did we somehow get back home?”

“Maybe, but…” El frowned, before shaking her head. “No. This place still feels… wrong.” She looked to Maddie. “Come on. We might find something in town.”

Maddie nodded, allowing El to take the lead.

\-----------

As the two walked into town, they quickly began to feel that something was off. They just couldn’t place their fingers on it. As they walked, however, it soon became obvious.

Lake Jordan was still cordoned off to the public. That wasn’t right. It should’ve been opened back up to the public after Godzilla moved to the ocean. Had he stayed?

Deciding to investigate, El and Maddie rerouted, checking out the lake area. Getting through the outer gate was ludicrously easy, making it nothing more than a brisk walk further into the compound. Once they’d arrived, they were surprised to note all the old trailers and buildings from the time when Monarch was still just the ‘conservation effort’ and headquartered at the lake.

Maddie and El weren’t home, that much was apparent. Now, became a game of figuring out what sort of world they were in.

Checking the lake, they noted that Godzilla was gone, which was concerning. Because if Godzilla was gone, why were there things set up here? It didn’t make sense.

“I don’t get it.” Maddie muttered, looking to El. “If Godzilla left here, then why stay at the lake?”

“I don’t know…” El frowned. “Maybe-“

Whatever she could suggest was instantly stamped out, as a group of people instantly sprung out from the trailers, being generally shouty and pointing guns in their direction.

“Hold it, hold it!” Barnes ordered, pointing a strange, angular black gun with glowing orange circuitry at them. The thing didn’t even look properly bolted together, but many floating pieces holding themselves in formation to mimic the appearance of a gun.

“Whoa, whoa!” Maddie’s hands shot up. “Calm down, we’ve got our hands up!”

“Sweet Jesus…” Mark breathed, dropping his gun. _“Madison?”_

Maddie blinked, looking at him. “Yeah, um… you wanna explain what’s going on?”

“Don’t answer that!” Ilene directed, “This could be a trap!”

“A tra-“ Maddie spluttered, “Auntie Chen, we showed up, in the _dark,_ acting suspicious. There are better ways to lure someone into a trap!”

Ilene slowly nodded, dropping her gun. “It’s her.”

“God, Maddie, I…” Poor Mark look like he could’ve cried, as he looked his child over. “I…” He broke down into what seemed to be relieved tears, embracing her.

“Dad…” Maddie addressed fearfully, as El looked on in bemusement. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

Mark pulled back. “You don’t know?”

Maddie and El looked at each other. “We’re having… memory troubles.” She cringed at the excuse.

Vivienne looked the duo over and gestured to the main trailer. “Come inside. We’ll explain everything.”

\-----------

“What do you remember,” Serizawa began, this version of him wearing an eyepatch over his eyes, pacing back and forth academically. The one good part was that it didn’t feel like an interrogation. Yet. “Of November fifth, nineteen-eighty-five?”

“Um…” Maddie blinked. “Nothing.”

“I see…” Serizawa looked skeptical, before he continued. He turned to the projector screen, clicking the remote. “On that day, we were attacked.”

El raised an eyebrow. “We?”

“Humanity.” Serizawa answered, turning to her. “Earth. Every nation on the planet, attacked at once.”

“By… what?” Maddie asked. Something that could do that would be powerful, incomprehensibly so.

“They identified themselves as the Xil Empire.” Serizawa answered, as the slide showed a long, angular, floating construct shaped like a massive railgun, lined with the same glowing orange light lines as the weapons Barnes and the other brandished upon El and Maddie’s intrusion. “Xiliens, from a star system thousands of light years away.”

El and Maddie watched, enraptured, as the vessel released several thousand flying horseshoe-shaped craft, which began bombing runs on facilities of importance.

“Upon their arrival, they gave us nothing.” Serizawa continued. “No demand for our surrender, no ultimatums, nothing… and when they found Gojira…”

Maddie covered her mouth in abject horror as the video showed Godzilla standing in the ruins of a city, trying to fight back against an onslaught of weapons _capable_ of harming him in a significant way, only to be lifted off the ground by an invisible force, being taken directly into the belly of an alien spacecraft hovering overhead.

Serizawa glanced at her. “You were taken with him.” He quietly explained, thankfully providing no video of that to spare her the sight.

“God…” Maddie wretched internally, closing her eyes.

“What…” El was almost too afraid to ask. “What happened after that?”

“The Xiliens began an occupation of the planet.” Serizawa explained, showing a video of identical figures dressed in black armor highlighted by the glowing circuitry marching down streets. “And they haven’t relaxed their grip since.”

“And they took Godzilla…” Maddie repeated in horror. “Wh-Where!?”

The adults all looked at each other, silently debating, before Mark was the one to answer. “The Xiliens took him out to pluto… we haven’t seen him since.”

“Yeah, but now that you’re here!” Rick spoke up, pointing. “That means you must’ve broken out, which means there’s a very good chance Godzilla’s sticking it to them!”

“Um…” El and Maddie looked at each other. “About that…”

\----------

It was difficult going at first to explain their situation, but eventually, the duo managed, filling in the group on the search for their own Godzilla, how he disappeared in the first place, and why they ended up here now.

“So…” Barnes held up a hand. “Your Godzilla vanished because she,” He gestured to El, “Tried spying on him only for it to backfire.”

Maddie nodded. “In a nutshell.”

“Yeah, alright, just…” Barnes muttered, rubbing his face. “Cool.”

“W-Well,” Mark looked between her and the others, “If you’re not _our_ Madison, that means she’s still being held by the Xiliens, along with Godzilla! We have to rescue them!”

“We know, Mark.” Serizawa patiently replied. “We’re still on-schedule, don’t worry.”

“I don’t want to worry you guys,” El began, “But how can you be sure both of them are even _alive?”_

“Xilien tech is weird.” Rick replied, chewing his gum loudly. “All their shit is linked together, in one massive… wireless web. We got a comm unit outta one of their scrapped dropships once, let us right in to their network. We check in, every now and then.”

“You can just…” Maddie looked searchingly. _“Do_ that? Don’t they have like security or something?”

“They do.” Rick grinned. “Broke it in the first day. Most of their higher-security stuff is physically separated though… otherwise we’d just forge an order to drop them back on earth or something.”

“Oh, that sucks…” Maddie sighed. “So… what’s the plan?”

Rick looked to the others, and Serizawa nodded, giving him permission.

“Come on. You wanna see some real cool toys?”

\-----------

“Ladies…” Rick looked at them dramatically, like a tour guide acting to falsely increase the suspense. “What you are about to see, is the greatest marvel of science mankind has ever produced. The greatest minds of a generation could only _dream_ of it.”

Maddie sighed. “Rick,” She looked at him, her patience at an end. All he’d done was led them down the old pier, to a metal construct floating in the water. “Just tell us what this is.”

“Fine,” The scientist grumbled, “Not like we all worked hard on this or anything.” He gestured to it, now lost for his dramatic flair. “Maddie, the other one, meet the _Argo.”_

Maddie blinked, looking at the craft. It looked like a stealth bomber, but bigger, seemingly designed to hold more crew. Two cigarette-proportioned cylinders with curved domes at the front were affixed to the tips of the wings, and the entire thing was covered in black paint.

“We’ve been working on it ever since Gojira and our Madison were taken.” Serizawa explained, glancing at them.

“Wait, I don’t…” El pointed at it, shaking her head. “It’s a boat. How’s it gonna help?”

Maddie wondered that too, before it clicked with her, and she drew a breath. “El, don’t you see? It’s not a boat.”

“Not a…” El repeated, face the picture of bewilderment. “Then what is it?”

“It’s a ship.” Maddie looked to the scientists an excited look plastered upon her features. “A spaceship, am I right?”

The scientists chuckled, before Mark took that opportunity to speak.

“We need some way to get out to Pluto.” He quietly stated. “And God knows Xilien spacecraft aren’t available to us.”

“W-Wait,” El held up a hand. “Isn’t Pluto far away? Like… _really_ far away?”

“Half an hour at the speed of light,” Rick answered, turning back to the craft, “But that’s where these babies come in!” He gestured to the pods attached to the wings. “Warp engines!”

Ilene let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head with crossed arms. “I told you Rick, we’re not calling them that. This isn’t Star Trek.”

“You’re just mad because you can’t come up with a better name!” Rick accused, before turning back to El. “See, Pluto _is_ really far, so far that if we traveled at normal speeds, it’d take us the better part of the year to get there. By that time, the Xiliens could already move them, but _these_ engines propel us faster than light.” He explained, sounding giddy at the prospect. “Once those bad boys turn on we’ll be able to get to Pluto in _minutes_.”

El blinked, her jaw dropping. “Sounds… fast.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Maddie commented, frowning. “How much power do those things even _need?_ ”

“Ah,” Rick pointed, “There’s the question. Of course.”

Maddie frowned, looking to the others.

“The power requirements are immense.” Serizawa explained. “A nuclear reactor is the only device built by human hands capable of providing the energy.”

“Which you can’t bolt on because, well, it’s a _nuclear reactor_.” Maddie nodded in understanding.

“But!” Rick interjected. “We have a plan. There’s a very fine, very _illegal_ gentlemen who can get us what we need. _Speaking of whom…”_ He looked to Serizawa seriously.

The Japanese man sighed, nodding. “Quite right. We have business to attend to. Madison, El,” He addressed, “Stay here. Rick and I will some time, but until then, make yourselves comfortable.” He glanced at Rick, gesturing, before moving to walk.

“…El.” Maddie blinked, rubbing her face. “What in the _Hell_ have we gotten ourselves into?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	33. The Monster of Monsters, Part Two

Serizawa, Rick, and Barnes remained silent as they drove down the streets of Chicago, looking at the glowing armored Xilien patrols walking the streets to maintain their order. All they could do was watch, swallowing bile as one man got too close, bumping into one of the marching guards, being disintegrated for the hapless act.

Serizawa sighed, turning his head away from the window, as they pulled into the parking area of one building, an enormous high rise stretching into the night sky. The three men climbed out, saying nothing, as they walked into the elevator, hitting the button to take them to the top floor.

“…I’ll be glad when we can finally put this mess behind us.” Rick muttered, shaking his head. “The entire thing’s been a nightmare.”

“Indeed it has…” Serizawa agreed, staring at the doors.

“Are you sure this idea’s even gonna _work_?” Barnes pressed. “And how’re we even gonna get the big guy back to Earth when we get there?”

“It’ll work.” Rick stated with conviction. “As for getting Godzilla back home… we’ll cross that one when we come to it.”

Barnes crossed his arms. “…I’m still not sure this guy’s entirely trustworthy.”

“Mister Barnes,” Serizawa addressed, “We’ve done business with Mister Pollux many times… if there is one thing that we have learned, is that he is _not_ trustworthy.”

The elevator stopped, the vibrations of loud music shaking it.

“We are here for a trade.” Serizawa outlined, as the door opened. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

The trio walked out into a spacious loft, the floor made of dozens of luminous panels that pulsated in time with the beat of a bass-heavy, slow techno track that shook the entire space. People filled the room, some sitting down and talking amongst themselves, others dancing slowly with the music, while others partook at the bar. DJs were up in a booth off the floor, seemingly synthesizing the music live with alien computers.

But, at the center of it all, was one man in a blinding white suit, his very _tie_ glowing as a light source. His white, spiky hair stood in all directions, moving only slightly as he bounded around the space.

“Where’s your sense of humor!?” The club owner, and the man they had come to see, Pollux asked of a Xilien sealed in her mask.

“This isn’t funny, Pollux.” The Xilien growled from behind the smooth, featureless, polished black mask. “The enemy is getting far, far too close to this star system. We know there’s a leak, and since _you,”_ She poked Pollux in the chest, “Are the few parties on this planet with knowledge of how our technology works… that is suspicious, don’t you think?”

“Bartus, my friend,” Pollux disarmingly smiled, glancing at the trio as they approached. “I would _love_ to discuss this with you all day, but the fact of the matter is: I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about. After all… the Xilien troops are some of my best customers, it’d be bad for business if I drove you all out. Now…” He gestured, looking to the new arrivals. “If you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. But, do help yourselves to whatever’s behind the bar, a little apology, for having to come all the way out here on your own time.” He swaggered effortlessly away from the troops, walking over to the three with a big grin on his face.

They would say he was happy to see them, but no. This was more like the face of a con artist figuring out their new mark was the biggest sucker on the planet.

“Serizawa, my old friend.” Pollux smiled like a serpent, even as he shook Serizawa’s hand with both hands. “It’s been far too long. Come, come, sit, sit, sit!” He hurriedly guided them over to some empty barstools, getting behind the illuminated counter directly. “Would you care for something to drink?” He asked of them, as he began mixing a series of glowing, colored liquids together. “How have things been in that _dreadful_ compound of yours?”

“You know why we’re here, Pollux.” Serizawa replied, leaning on the bar with his hands clasped.

Pollux, who had been imbuing the green liquid directly, removed the tall glass from his lips, looking on with a pointed grin. “Business before pleasure, I see… Well,” He took a breath, sitting the glass down as he nevertheless wasn’t fazed, walking back around. “I can respect that. I didn’t get to where I am now through relentless partying. Although, the partying was definitely a part!” His joke landed on deaf ears, causing him to roll his eyes. “You lot are _all_ business, aren’t you? Very well then. Come!” He gestured boisterously. “Let us abscond to my private chambers.”

Serizawa and the others glanced at each other, as Pollux walked over to one wall, and tapped something into a screen, stepping aside and gesturing dramatically for the three to enter as part of the wall slid up, entering into a room on the other side.

The trio shot one last glance at the bar, before following Pollux inside, the wall sliding back down behind them.

\-----------

“So, who is that… guy they’re going to see?” Maddie curiously asked, as they sat inside the compound’s main building.

“Pollux,” Vivienne answered, “He’s a man of… many unsavory dealings.”

El furrowed her brow.

“She means he’s a black-market dealer.” Mark stated frankly, grumbling.

“Black market?” El repeated, tilting her head, and picturing a grocery store painted all-black.

“Yeah,” Mark nodded, “He and his people run a ‘salvage’ operation and _un_ fortunately, the only man who can get us what we need. But enough about him.” He changed the subject. “How did… you two end up here?” He asked, still trying to wrap his brain around the idea of other earths.

El shrugged. “We… don’t know. It just kind of happens. We’ve wound up all sorts of places... it’s been a long time, so I think I’m getting better at it.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Mark nodded. “How long?”

Maddie blinked, not meeting his eyes. “Oh, you know… not long.”

Mark crossed his arms. “Madison.”

Maddie sighed. “About… six months?”

“You’ve been searching for your Godzilla for _six months?”_ Vivienne repeated.

Maddie scowled. “So? You’ve been trying to get yours back for… god knows how long.”

“I know, but we are dealing with an _alien invasion.”_ Mark retorted, staring at her seriously. “All that happened to yours was an accident.”

“I know.” Maddie replied. “But… I can’t lose him. We’ve been looking for him for so long, we can’t give up now. We need him. _I_ need him. He’s… my best friend.”

El glanced at Maddie upon hearing that, before shrugging.

“So…” El blinked. “What happened to the rest of us here? There’s no Ghidorah, so he’s dead, and you already knew me, but I’m not around… what happened?”

“…Bad stuff.” Was all Mark responded with.

\---------

“I must say, you picked quite a time to come visit.” Pollux commented, using a small pair of tongs to drop ice into yet _another_ drink he was preparing for himself. “The Xilien forces are becoming paranoid. It’s not as _easy_ to move valuable goods as it once was.” He idly commented, dropping a decorative umbrella into his glass.

Rick’s eyes narrowed. “What’re you implying? We’d better not have come out all this way for nothing.”

“Oh, don’t worry, my dear mister Sanchez-“

“It’s Stanton.” Rick corrected.

“I have exactly what you came for,” Pollux stated, pulling the cuff on his shirt back to tap something into a holographic panel being projected from his wristwatch.

In a moment, a complex piece of machinery, what looked like a brass sphere made of thousands of sharp, interlocking parts that could spin, floated down from the ceiling.

“A zero-point vacuum energy core, the Xilien military’s finest piece of power generation technology.” He postured, gesturing to it. “Imagine the sort of energy this one device can churn out. All the _UNLIMITED POWER!”_ He suddenly shouted theatrically.

The three didn’t react beyond exasperation, and Pollux frustratedly sighed.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Serizawa stood up, “We’ll just be taking that, and be on our way.”

“Ah, of course.” Pollux smiled. “You _did_ pay in advance.” He stepped aside, allowing them to move. “Ah, but…” He held up a finger, a golden electrical field surrounding the floating piece of technology. “I do have to ask… what sort of device could require _such_ a marvelous thing to power it, hm?”

Barnes humorlessly crossed his arms. “What if we told you it was… none of your damn business?”

“Ha!” Pollux laughed. “Quick-witted as ever, mister Barnes! But, you see… you _made_ it my business.” Pollux gestured with his fingers. “And you have all been such valued customers of mine. If this is to be our last transaction, satisfy a friend’s curiosity, what do you say?”

They didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a response.

“Oh, fine then.” Pollux rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Then I’ll try something different. I _know_ what you’re trying to do.”

Rick scowled. “No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” Pollux turned right around, leaning nonchalantly on his bar. “A full set of faster-than-light engine coils, navigational shielding array, a full sensor package fit for space operations, and now… a power core. Why…” He turned back around, “It seems to me you’re trying to launch a mission into space. How about that?”

Serizawa’s eyes narrowed. “If you intend to inform the authorities…”

Pollux scoffed. “Why would I? It’s not like the Xiliens are my best customers.” He sardonically paced around, before the first time, his demeanor became serious. “What if I were to tell you that there are other powers in the cosmos than the Xiliens? Things far more powerful and numerous, and that the reason the Xiliens decided to bother themselves with this wretched little dirtball, as well as kidnap your lizard friend, is because they are losing to these other parties?”

Rick raised an eyebrow. “Dude, stop speaking around the bush, just tell us what you’re trying to say.”

Pollux let out a long-suffering sigh. “The Xiliens are fighting a war against a bigger, stronger fish. And they’re losing, _badly._ Why, that’s why they took your large friend to begin with. They plan to make more like him and set them loose across the galaxy. Quite the fireworks show… but very, very bad news.”

Barnes’s eyebrows furrowed. “Explain.”

“The Xiliens are at the end of their rope.” Pollux continued. “Desperate. Down to a small, token contingent like… rats running into a sewer to get away from a rabid dog. The Xiliens are making movements, but they’re in hiding. The dog can’t find the rat… do you understand what I’m saying?”

Serizawa frowned. “…How does this involve us?”

“You lot,” Pollux pointed, “You utterly mad group of people, are trying to get to Pluto, and _that_ is where the Xilien base is. And _I_ want to help you.”

“Help us?” Rick repeated sarcastically. “Dude, we’re already bankrupt as is, no thanks.”

“Oh, no, no charge.” Pollux smiled, gesturing. A wall rotated around, showing a large arsenal of Xilien weapons, along with other pieces of technology. “Weapons, portable shields,” He pointed to the black discs with glowing orange edges. “Environment suits.” He turned around, “Everything you need to break into the base on Pluto _and_ survive while doing so.”

Serizawa narrowed his eyes. “What is the catch?”

Pollux chuckled. “I said there was no charge.”

“No charge, that means you don’t want money.” Serizawa stated. “You want something else.”

Pollux held up his pale hands. “Okay, you’ve got me…” In a show of sleight-of-hand, he produced a long, triangular prism of glass. “This,” He displayed the device for them to see, “Is a very important data storage device. Containing, well… information of a particular value to the Xiliens’ ‘bigger fish.’ Once you get to the Xilien outpost on Pluto, find the communications center, and direct the transmission to Zeta Reticuli.” He directed, handing Rick the glass prism.

Rick frowned, taking it. “Why would we do that?”

“Because if you _don’t,”_ Pollux began in reply, “I’ll keep all my fancy toys. Including that generator.”

Barnes crossed his arms. “There’s something more.”

Pollux sighed. “Fine, if you really want to know, the Xiliens are about to get their superior behinds handed to them, and I would rather be far, _far_ away from this star system when that happens.”

Serizawa sighed, rubbing his face. “…Very well.”

Pollux smiled, holding up his drink. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	34. A special treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday, so I'd figure I'd celebrate by giving you all a little preview into a storyline i have planned for the future.

The heavy steel cell door clanged shut, and Hopper could barely bring himself to look up as the Russians threw another man in with him.

It never lasted too long. Whoever they dropped in here was almost always dragged back out. This person was different, however.

A muscular man in what looked like a strange, form-fitting yet flexible armor, with very distinctly non-human features.

The man was muttering something in a strange, incomprehensible language, and Hopper frowned curiously, approaching.

“Hey,” Hopper looked him over, “You alright?”

The man’s injuries were widespread, cuts, burns, and breaks all over his body.

“The last…” The man finally muttered in broken English. “I am the last…”

“Hold on,” Hopper told him, “HEY!” He bellowed to the guards. “Get a damn doctor in here! You hear me, you sick fucks!?” He looked back down to the man. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you help.”

“Help…? No… no help…” He mumbled. “Too late…” His eyes creaked open, and he stared at Hopper. “Zone… Fight… Power…” He wheezed, head falling back on the concrete.

“What?” Hopper asked, “Hey, stay with me!” He tried to shake the man back awake, only to receive an enormous electric shock that blasted him back into the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	35. The Monster of Monsters, Part Three

“Alright,” Mark took a breath, frowning as the Xilien spacesuit enveloped his figure, the lights on it glowing orange. “God, that’s weird.”

“Yes…” Ilene agreed, looking at her hand closed in the black, plastic-like material. The stuff, despite encasing their bodies entirely, somehow breathed and felt airy.

Maddie frowned, looking at the disc in her hand, before placing it on her chest. She too, was soon surrounded by the black material, the suit materializing over her clothes and skin in a shimmer of black hexagons.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!?” Mark demanded, looking at Maddie.

“We’re helping.” El answered for both before she looked at Maddie in the suit and smiled. “Pretty.”

“Is it?” Maddie asked, looking down. “Not too sure about the color… These guys _really_ like orange.”

“No, hey, no!” Mark tried laying down the law. “You two are _not_ getting pulled into this! Go do your… freaky mind thing, and get somewhere else, somewhere safe.”

Maddie just glanced at him as El mimicked Maddie’s movements to put on a suit of her own. “Two things. One: Me and her have been through… a _lot_ of trouble, and we’ve always managed to come out on top. Trust me, you want us with you. Two: Godzilla is my _friend,_ no matter what form he takes. If it were me, he’d do everything he could to save me.

“…” Mark remained quiet for a long few moments before sighing. “I can’t stop you, can I?”

“Nope!” Maddie grinned. “Trust me, you try it, and we _will_ sneak on board with you guys.”

“…fine.” Mark scowled. “Come on.”

Maddie and El looked at each other, giggling excitedly as they followed.

\------------

“…alright, final checks.” Barnes said, like they had practiced for numerous times before.

“Generator’s hooked up and ready,” Rick rattled off, “We’ve got stable power flowing to the regular engines, navigational shields… I think we’re ready.”

“Right…” Barnes took a deep breath. “Everybody, strap in and hold on.” He ordered, pushing the throttle forward. The _Argo_ began to rumble and rock, pushing the immense gallons of water out of its way as it moved forward.

“Speed…” Mark’s eyes bugged out. “Sweet Jesus that’s fast!”

“We’re approaching the other side of the lake,” Vivienne informed, “Get ready to pull out- I MEAN UP, PULL UP!”

“Smooth…” Rick sarcastically muttered.

“Alright, fellas, this is it!” Barnes said, glancing around. “Rick, are you sure this is ready!?”

“Hell yeah!” Rick replied, flicking the switches on his console. In response, the engines of the craft went into overdrive, shaking the inhabitants around haphazardly. Most curiously, however, he pulled out a cassette tape, putting it into the deck.

Rick chuckled madly. “LET’S ROCK AND ROLL!” He hit the button, and instantly, the internal announcement system was hijacked, screaming guitars filling the air and assaulting the ears of everybody inside.

“AH!” El’s hands shot to her ears, glad she was strapped in otherwise she would’ve fallen to the floor.

 _“I like to dream!”_ A man sung, as Barnes pulled the stick back, causing the vessel to pull up, rocketing up and breaking the surface of the water. _“C’mon, yes, yes, right between a sound machine!”_

Back suddenly became down, the passengers feeling like they were on a rollercoaster going straight up. Reflexively trying to steady herself on _anything,_ Maddie grabbed El’s hand, closing her eyes and trying not to get hung up on the fact that they were _going to space to rescue Godzilla from aliens._

 _“On a cloud of sound I drift in the night!”_ The song continued. _“Any place it goes is right. Flies far, goes near, to the stars away from here. Well, you don’t know what we can find! Why don’t you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet ride? You don’t know what, we can see! Why don’t you tell your dreams to me? Fantasy will set you free.”_

“Can you shut that damn noise off!?” Mark bellowed, fed up with it.

Rick rolled his eyes, his hand drifting over to the tape deck. _“Close-“_ He hit the button, and the song stopped.

“Hey!” Maddie spoke up. “We’ve got a red light on the port engine!”

Rick looked over to his readout, tapping the light. When it didn’t go away, he smacked it. It still didn’t vanish. Yet, he turned to face her. “Ignore it! We’ll be fine!”

Maddie gulped, leaning back. That wasn’t instilling any confidence.

\-----------

The minutes passed tensely, the constant roaring of the in-atmosphere engines reminding her that the only thing keeping them from plunging back to the planet and blowing up was how much work Rick had put into the engines of this thing.

The front viewport on the craft began to glow orange, as the blue of the sky began to fade away, becoming replaced with a deep, impenetrable black. Soon too, did the shaking cease, and Maddie felt lighter.

They were in space…

 _They…_ were in space!

Maddie hadn’t particularly wanted to be an astronaut, but even she had to admit, this was pretty cool.

“Space…” El breathed, looking out of the window at the starfield outside, the moon hanging clearly in the distance. “We’re in space…”

“Beautiful,” Ilene murmured, glancing at El. “Isn’t it?”

El could only offer a breathless nod, as she looked. “There’re so many stars…”

Something began to beep, and Mark looked up from his console.

“I’d hate to be a buzzkill,” Mark spoke up, “But there’s a Xilien Carrier out there.” He looked to Serizawa gravely. “And it’s coming this way.”

“Right, better not give ‘em the chance to stop us.” Rick stated, pressing the buttons and flicking the switches. “Powering up warp engines… the coils are charging! Ready in sixty seconds!”

\---------

“Director,” An Operator at his station on board the Xilien ship stiffly rotated around in his console’s chair, addressing the commander of the vessel.

The being standing in the center of a circular field of holograms methodically turned, staring at her subordinate.

“Sensors have detected a primitive spacecraft leaving the planet’s atmosphere.” The Operator reported coldly and monotonously, as if reading a weather report. “It will soon leave visual range.”

The Director nodded, clasping her hands behind her back. “So… the humans are trying to run.” She turned back. “Move to intercept.” She ordered, as the carrier began to move to do just that.

\----------

“Thirty seconds to full charge!” Rick reported, tapping the buttons.

“Power generation stable, structural integrity… holding.” Serizawa reported.

“That thing’s getting closer!” Barnes warned. “Rick, can those things charge any faster!?”

“YOU’LL GET IT WHEN YOU GET IT!”

\----------

“Moving within intercept range now, Director.” The helm Operator reported, not even glancing at his superior.

“Good…” The Xilien female slowly nodded. “Prepare a gravity beam.”

\---------

“Uh… guys?” Maddie worriedly addressed, noticing the ‘barrel’ of the long ship beginning to glow brighter. “I don’t know what that is, but it doesn’t look good.”

“Coils charged!” Rick reported. “Now, Barnes!”

“Alright, y’all!” Barnes grasped the throttle. “Hold onto your butts!” He slammed the silver piece of metal forward, and the engines flashed, space warping and shifting to accommodate the energies the machines were putting out.

From the outside perspective, the _Argo_ rubberbanded and disappeared in a flash of light, just as the Xilien carrier closed in.

\----------

The Director looked sternly upon the visual feed, scowling minutely from behind her polished black mask. “Where are they?” She demanded far, far too calmly.

“They… appear to have gone to FTL speeds, Director.” The sensor Operator answered. “Course projections place them on course for Pluto.”

The Director inhaled. “I see.” She turned, calmly walking into her chambers. Placing a hand on her console, the door slid closed behind her, as a wireframe model of a humanoid figure materialized.

The wireframe became solid, indistinguishable from someone actually there, showing it to be a man in a long, black cloak with a nonstandard gold-yellow lighting illuminating it, with a polished black mask the same as all the others masking his features.

“Controller.” The Director bowed respectfully.

 _“Director…”_ The Xilien Controller responded, his voice slightly distorted and metallic. _“You are not scheduled to report for another ten rels. Explain.”_

“It is the humans, Controller.” The Director groveled. “They appear to have constructed a primitive craft capable of FTL speeds.”

_“And what has become of this craft?”_

“We believe it is presently on a course to your base now.”

The Xilien controller stood like a statue for a few moments, the illumination on his clothing flickering unsteadily as his enraged disappointment at the failure to stop even a single craft gripped his being.

 _“I see…”_ The Controller looked at his hand as he ran a polished sphere around in his hand. _“We will…_ discuss _your inability to apprehend a single craft later.”_

“Yes, Controller.” The Director bowed. “What is to be done now?”

 _“You will remain where you are._ My _forces will handle these humans.”_

\----------

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“ Maddie and El screamed, as outside the window, space stretched and warped in ways that they couldn’t make sense of. They were traveling faster than light itself, something no human had ever done, or was meant to do.

They were gonna have one hell of a story for the others when they got back home.

“Alright, throttle back!” Rick advised. “Unless you wanna smash into a planet at lightspeed!”

Barnes said nothing, pulling back on the throttle. The stretched stars returned to normal, as an object entered view outside, and the chaotic shaking of the cobbled-together ship ceased.

“Whoa… Pluto.” Maddie breathed, looking to El. “You know what this means?”

El tilted her head curiously.

“We’re the first teenagers to go into space… and first _humans_ to go out this far.” Maddie explained.

El grinned, Maddie’s enthusiasm infecting her. “Cool…”

“Alright,” Mark looked to Rick, “You see the Xilien base?”

“It’s a city on a barren planet, man, of course I see it.”

“Great.” Mark semi-sarcastically frowned. “You got a plan to get us in?”

“Of course I do!” Rick retorted, before blinking. “Uh…”

Ilene sighed. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”

“I thought we’d have been smeared across seven dimensions the moment we tried to turn on those engines.” Rick frankly admitted, looking around. “But, that _didn’t_ happen, so… win!”

The assembled shook their heads, sighing.

Serizawa, however, spoke up. “…I have a plan. Mister Barnes,” He addressed the pilot, “Put us in a dive towards the planet’s surface. Make us crash.”

The others immediately fel silent, shocked.

Rick, predictably, was the first one to find his words. “Sure, we’ll just come out all this way and kill ourselves for the trouble! Are you outta your goddamn mind!?”

“No…” Vivienne held up a finger, her eyebrows raising. “I see what he’s doing… Jackson,” She addressed, “Do as he says.”

Barnes looked on for a moment, like they both were outta their minds, before he took a breath, putting the craft into a dive.

The _Argo_ shook, as Pluto’s size in the viewport grew.

“El,” Serizawa addressed, “We need to make the crash look genuine, but not so strong to kill us in the process. Can you shield us?”

“Um… sure.” El gulped. “Just stay really, really still.” She closed her eyes, and the air in the cockpit rippled with power, before El’s nose began to drip blood.

Alarms on the dashboard began to blare, red lights flashing to signal the imminent danger of the engine overload, the coming impact, and the quickly failing structure of the ship.

With a thunderous bang, the _Argo_ hit the ground, and slid to a stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	36. The Monster of Monsters, Part Four

The airlock doors of the _Argo_ slid open, a group of seven Xilien troops storming in to sweep the craft for survivors. The leader gestured with her hand, and the group proceeded farther inside.

The metal of the craft creaked, as a sharp chunk broke from the ceiling, impaling itself through the leader, and the other Xiliens were thrown into a mad scramble, trying to find the party responsible.

Their guns were suddenly yanked out of their hands by an invisible force, as one of the walls fell down, and the crew of the craft stormed out, firing upon the Xilien troops with their own weapons, disintegrating them.

El wiped her nose, and cringed at the bodies lying around.

“Hope we didn’t just kick the hornet’s nest.” Barnes remarked, glancing at Rick.

“Arguably, we did that back at Earth.” Rick replied, tapping in commands into his console. “Alright, I’ve set the generator to overload. We’d best get outta here, unless, you know, you wanna go for a light stroll on the surface of the sun.” He remarked, hitting a button on his suit’s collar. The standard featureless mask of the Xiliens unfolded from seemingly nowhere, covering his face.

The others mirrored his movements, and they entered into the airlock, waiting for it to cycle.

“…Are we sure these things will protect us?” Maddie fearfully asked, now that she was at the point where she was about to set foot onto a planet no other human being had gone, wearing something that, in theory, could protect her, but felt like it wasn’t there at all.

“Relax,” Mark calmly, gently placed a hand on her shoulder, “We’re right here with you.”

Maddie took a breath, and braced herself, as the airlock opened. The space went silent as the doors opened out onto a massive, extending landscape of sharp, jutting mountains. The place looked like earth’s moon, really.

A field of stars unlike any Maddie had seen, even in the most remote locations on Earth, hung in the sky, shimmering and twinkling like glitter on a black piece of paper. They had evidently landed on the night side of Pluto.

And then it hit her. She was _standing on Pluto._ Where no other human had gone before.

El was the first one to find her legs, taking a step out onto the actual surface, leaving a footprint in the dust. Perhaps she should’ve said something, maybe _anyone_ should’ve said something. Something inspiring, something historical.

But looking back on it, the thing Maddie remembered most was just how quiet it was. It wasn’t from the vacuum impeding sound, because the soundwaves should’ve been able to go through the ground, but rather, it was because none of them could find the words to do it justice.

They were making history… and all of them were utterly silent.

Well… except for El. “Dustin’s _so_ not going to believe this…” She breathed, looking up at the galaxy hanging in the sky.

“How do we get into the Xilien base?” Vivienne inquired, looking to the others.

Rick looked around, before his eyes fell on something. A Xilien vehicle, a ground-based transport, obviously the one the kill squad had used to get out there. “Oh, look. Transport of delight.” He looked at the others. “Get it? De… lite? Cause it glows? Ugh.” He rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he walked towards the alien vehicle. “My humor is wasted on you invertebrates.”

“Oh no, we got it.” Maddie replied as they followed him. “It’s just because you’re about as funny as a blind toddler walking through a minefield.”

“HA!” Mark chortled, causing Rick to look at him.

“Really dude, you’re gonna let your kid talk like that?”

Mark shrugged, “She’s not _my_ kid. Alternate reality, and all that mess.”

Rick rolled his eyes, jumping. The low gravity carried him up, and he landed on the cab of the vehicle, opening the hatch.

“Wait, we can’t just _drive_ in!” Ilene stated, causing Rick to look at her.

Even blocked by the helmet, they could tell that he blinked in confusion.

“Why not?”

\-----------

In the control room for the Xilien motorpool, one Operator sat as his console, looking out onto the map, and to the moving truck coming back. He methodically moved to the control panel, trying to contact the truck.

“Motor control to scout truck prime,” He addressed, as was standard procedure, “Report status.” He ordered, waiting to log.

 _“We’re, uh, operating normally, here.”_ The commander of the force responded, and the Operator pulled up the truck’s mission. _“Status is nominal.”_ The commander coughed.

“Report mission status.” The Operator ordered, getting ready to log it.

 _“The… human craft experienced total engine control failure.”_ The commander reported. _“All crew died upon impact, and the power control systems began to experience uncontrollable meltdown. No survivors or debris.”_

The Operator reached up to a holopanel, pulling it down to check the sensor logs. Indeed, there was a sudden heat and radiation spike consistent with a power system overload.

“Understood.” The Operator typed in the commands. “You are cleared for re-entry.” He sent off the report, allowing the bay doors to open for the truck.

A moment later, the Xilien Controller’s hologram materialized, and the Operator bowed respectfully.

 _“Operator 1152567,”_ The Controller addressed, _“How many of the expeditionary force has returned?”_

The Operator quickly looked, taking stock. “Eight, Controller.”

 _“…I see.”_ The Controller slowly nodded, his gloved hands clasped behind his back. _“Have the entire team escorted to the command centre immediately.”_

The Operator nodded, hitting a button. “Security units to Bay one-nine.” He hit another button, focusing on the group climbing out of the truck. “Attention, exploration team. Remain still. You will be escorted to command for a debriefing.”

The team stopped, looking at each other in confusion, before the leader looked up. “Alright, that’s, uh… fine by us.”

The access doors deeper into the base slid open, and the security team marched out, surrounding the group, and ushering them forward, weapons at the ready.

The doors closed, and the Operator went back to his work.

\----------

“This wasn’t part of the plan.” Mark quietly hissed over the comm channel. “We’re going to get caught.”

“Do not fret, Mark.” Serizawa calmly replied, as they followed the guards around the corner. “Perhaps we can use this to our advantage.”

“How?” Mark questioned, “We’re being taken right to the- …oh.” He realized.

“Yes, ‘oh.’” Serizawa stated. “Remain calm, allow me to talk.”

Mark nodded, as the troops led them through a hexagonal door into the command center. There were circular pits in the floor, lined with consoles, and Xilien Operators staffing them.

One Xilien, a taller, imposing figure in a long, black cloak with non-standard lighting to indicate his importance, stood in the center of the room, his back turned.

The moment the doors closed, he turned around, looking to the new arrivals.

“You’ve returned…” He commented, looking them up and down. “I’ve read your reports… no humans survived the crash?”

“No, sir.” Serizawa replied, unaware that he had just made the first mistake. The Xilien military did not address superiors as sir, only by their rank.

“I see…” The Xilien Controller slowly paced. “And what became of the wreck?”

“The reactor melted down.” Serizawa simply informed.

“Indeed…” The Controller came to a stop. “And were you aware that an extra unit had stowed away with your excursion?”

Serizawa recoiled, as the rest of the humans tensed. “Excuse me?”

“There were only _seven_ of you sent out.” The Controller recalled, growling, as the manifest materialized. “Explain.”

“Perhaps it was an error?” Serizawa tried to suggest.

“An error?” The Controller repeated. “No… Xiliens do not make _errors._ ”

Instantly, the guards reached for their sidearms, only for the humans to beat them to the punch, raising their own, pilfered weapons, and firing upon the Xiliens.

The guards burned away to a pile of flaky ash, piling on the ground, as the non-combatant officers stopped what they were doing, looking on warily.

“Alright you alien freaks,” Barnes addressed, waving his gun around, “Try anything I don’t like, you get the max setting!”

“Now…” Serizawa addressed, pointing his weapon at the Controller. “Are you in charge here?”

The Xilien Controller chuckled, clapping his hands. “Good, good. You _do_ have intelligence. I am the Xilien Controller,” He introduced himself, “Supreme Commander for _all_ Xiliens.”

“Good,” Mark growled, “Then you can tell us what we want to know.”

“Oh, that.” The Controller replied. “I’m afraid I won’t be telling you anything.”

Barnes huffed. “You really wanna argue with the guys pointing guns at you?”

“Go ahead,” The Xilien Controller tried to egg on. “Try it.” He threw his arms to his side. “I have you all right where I want you.”

Barnes scowled. “Wanna bet?”

The Controller tilted his head. “…Yes, actually.” He replied, before all the doors in the room suddenly sealed themselves, all of the figures inside vanishing.

They had been holograms.

“Oh…” Mark frustratedly seethed, as they were left the only lifeforms in the room. “Well, that’s just _typical_.”

\-----------

“The humans have been isolated, sir.” The Operator informed, looking to the Controller.

“Very good…” The Controller approvingly nodded. “Send termination teams to deal with them.”

\---------

The moment the doors slammed shut, Rick hopped over to the other side of a console, hurriedly punching commands in.

“I don’t like this,” Ilene stated, “We’re sitting ducks!”

“I know!” Rick angrily retorted. “Unfortunately for these yahoos, they locked the smartest man alive in their fancy schmancy computer room.” He slammed down a hand, and satisfactorily smiled. “There. I turned the door control back over to us _and_ locked them out. They can’t get in.”

“Maybe, but that means _we_ ,” Maddie began to reply, “Can’t get out.”

“…shut up, it’s a plan in progress.” Rick replied self-consciously.

Mark shook his head, but walked over. “Where’re they keeping Godzilla? And our Madison?”

Rick furrowed his brow, looking at the control terminal. “Looks like… a dedicated lab not far from here.”

“How far’s not far?” Mark asked.

“Within walking distance.” Rick answered. “Course, the soldiers getting ready to shoot holes in your face might be a problem… unless you’re me.” He cracked his knuckles, typing in the commands. ”Nanometal, programmable architecture! I _love_ Xilien tech!”

“ _Programmable_ …?” El repeated, tilting her head. She’d heard the word used in conjunction with computers, but how did it fit with buildings?

“Able to remake hallways, rooms, and whatever on the fly!” Rick excitedly explained. “Imagine all the space problems we could solve with this! Homelessness would become a thing of the past!”

“Great,” Mark grumbled, “How do _we_ use it?”

“I’ve got you guys a path cleared out straight for Godzilla.” Rick answered, looking to them as they didn’t move. “I don’t know how long I can give them the run-around. These are their own systems, of course. Take this,” He tossed them a small, hexagonal glass plate that had been fabricated by his console. “Access codes for the lab. Should let you release Godzilla. Go!”

“Right,” Mark nodded, “Vivienne, Ilene, with me.” He gestured to them, running out of the room.

\---------

The Controller slammed his fist down in fury. “Imbeciles! This is our _own technology_ , how are they possibly capable of resisting us!?”

“It appears,” The Operator responded. “That they have someone of great intellect at their disposal.”

“I don’t _care_ about intellect!” The Controller snarled. “Send in ALL the troops!” He ordered.

“A-All?” The Operator repeated.

“When outsmarting your enemy fails…” The Controller began. “Crush them with overwhelming force.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	37. The Monster of Monsters, Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The right music can set the whole tone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAzJ7bpgu1g

The trio turned the corner, following the direct, doorless path that Rick had laid out for them, coming to a hexagonal door at the end of the corridor. The observation chamber for Godzilla’s lab, he’d said.

Mark wondered, worrying about what they would find, and could barely bring himself to open the door, when the corridor exploded behind them, and the troops came pouring in.

“In!” Ilene shouted, pushing Mark and Vivienne in in front of her, quickly sealing the door behind them.

“This was stupid…” Vivienne breathed. “Why do we keep doing stupid things?”

A low rumble and dim, pulsing light caught Mark’s attention, and he turned, slowly walking over to the glass window, eyebrows shooting up.

“My God…” Mark breathed, looking out through the viewport of the observation chamber. The banging of the Xilien troops trying to force their way through the door was momentarily forgotten, as he laid eyes upon the ‘Experiment’ the Xiliens were running here.

Godzilla… and he’d been put through the wringer. His dorsal spines, once sharped, curved, bony and natural structures, had been replaced with angular, trapezoid-shaped chunks of metal, each one accented with a red line. The tip of his tail had been severed, to be replaced with a mechanical imitation with seams on it. His scales were tinged a grey color, parts of his legs and arms clamped inside a metal exoskeleton, as his jaw was replaced with a metal substitute.

“Jesus…” Mark swallowed, grateful Maddie wasn’t there to see Godzilla. “What did they do to him?”

Ilene pushed herself away from the door, and went to look over the Xilien console, her eyes slowly widening in horror. “They’ve added so many things… An ‘asymmetrically permeable shield,’ a tail-housed spike tip, nanometal-infused cells, more efficient energy conversion systems and variable radiation output…” She looked to Mark. “They weaponized him.”

“God…” Mark went green at the idea of it.

“What about Madison,” Vivienne asked, “Our Madison? Where is she?”

“Let me…” Ilene typed in the commands, placing in the access key that Rick had given them to use for the prison break. The screen changed to show another enormous cell, just like the one they were overlooking, only there was something else inside it.

“…another Godzilla?” Mark’s eyebrows shot up.

Indeed, it was another Godzilla, only different. This one was built much more slimly, obviously prioritized for speed over sheer power, and its scales were a greener color, more suited to hiding from any threats that would come its way. The dorsal spines on its back were even sharper than Godzilla’s had been, and its tail was slightly shorter.

“I don’t get it.” Mark muttered. “Where’s Madison?”

“Mark…” Ilene breathed, slowly turning around. “That… I think that _is_ Madison.”

“No…” Mark muttered, stepping forward, looking at the not-Godzilla bound to the floor in chains of light. “No way… That’s not possible…”

“It says here…” Vivienne read. “’The subject shows traits and characteristics inherited via prolonged exposure to Subject Alpha. With sufficient technological coaxing it may be possible to extrapolate those traits to induce a state of full growth…’”

“They turned her into another Godzilla…” Ilene breathed, before her stomach sank. “It’s like Pollux said.” She looked to Mark. “The Xiliens want to unleash an army of Godzillas on unsuspecting worlds… they need a female to breed him with.”

Mark looked like he wanted for a moment, before his face shifted to pure, uncontrollable rage. “How do we let them out of there?” He demanded, striding over to the control panel.

The Xiliens didn’t know it yet, but they had just signed their death warrant.

\---------

“Rick, over here!” Maddie waved him over to one console.

Rick looked to her and dashed over. “What is it, kid?”

“Look.” She pointed to a triangular slot.

Rick’s eyebrows shot up, and he dug into his storage pouches for the glass prism Pollux had provided.

The metal banged, creaking, and their heads snapped over to the door.

El grunted, keeping her arms up, as she strained to keep the door from warping. “Guys, hurry!”

“Right, right,” Rick slammed down in the seat, slotting the prism in. “Right, just need to access comm controls…”

\--------

“Blow the section if you must.” The Xilien Controller growled to the heavy troopers trying to bust their way through the doors. “Stop those humans, _now!”_

\-------

“Mark,” Ilene grabbed his wrist, “If you hit that button... I can’t speak for the consequences.”

“…” He looked out to the mutilated Godzilla, the now cyberformed beast weakly looking back. A bang came from the door, and he took a breath. “…Anything’s better than just sitting here, waiting for the Xiliens to break in and kill us.”

Ilene nodded, pulling her hand away, and Mark slammed his hand down on the button.

The beams of light connecting the enormous clamps to the ceilings cut out, the loops of metal opening and falling to the floor, as an alarm began to sound.

\----------

Cyber-Godzilla opened his eyes fully, his mind finally free to think again, and he growled, standing up.

Across the facility, his feminine counterpart, still somewhat unused to her own body, did the same, and unconsciously mimicked his movements.

Both took a deep breath and charged their respective powers.

\---------

“It’s out!” Rick informed. “I don’t know what it did, but the transmission’s out!”

“Alright,” Barnes leveled his gun, pointing it at the door. “So… this is it?”

“I should certainly hope not.” Serizawa drew his pistol, mimicking Barnes. “El… stand behind us.” He instructed, as she finally began to buckle under the strain.

El moved, trying not to collapse, before the door was busted open, and the lights went dead, a mighty earthquake shaking the room.

The group of humans thought it was the act of the Xiliens entering, but something else disproved that.

 _“Warning,”_ An automated voice announced. _“Containment breach. The Experiments have been released. Repeat: the experiments have been released.”_

The Xilien troops immediately looked to each other, horrified, before they dropped trying to deal with the humans, and ran in the direction they came, as two powerful roars, both tinged with fury and pain, echoed throughout the base.

\-----------

Madison, the native Madison, felt the sting of the Xilien energy weapons dig into her skin, and she roared, as the gargantuan clasps surrounding her wrists and ankles fell, stomping forward.

The nanometal of the facility warped and creaked under her weight, and she charged her spines, the blazing orange color climbing up her back as the air rumbled.

 ** _‘SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!’_** Madison bellowed, the beam of orange lancing out and striking the Xiliens below, vaporizing them as it melted through the nanometal. She aimed her beam with purpose, carving through the wall, and stomping forward, smashing through the multi-leveled building like it was nothing.

\----------

“Look at my girl…” Mark proudly smiled, watching. “Look at her go… Madzilla.”

However, that wasn’t the only Kaiju breaking free. 

Cyber-Godzilla eyes glowed blue with fury, the mechanical spines on his back shifting to his more natural color. In a display of control over his tail they weren’t sure he had before, Cyber-Godzilla maneuvered his tail around, and split the metal tip open, revealing a gargantuan knife blade almost like a giant kunai.

Cyber-Godzilla drew a deep breath, and roared, the bellowing flanged with more mechanical sounds.

His tail shot forward, and effortlessly pierced the wall, nanometal ripping through nanometal as he tore down countless bulkheads.

The Xilien troops attempted to fire upon him, only for their weapons fire to harmlessly evaporate well away from his skin, thanks to that shield they installed.

For the first time in a long while… the Xiliens were facing a hopeless fight.

Cyber-Godzilla focused, the mechanisms on his back clicking and humming as they charged with power. He fired his atomic breath, a blinding ray of pure white, directing it as deep into the heart of the facility as he could.

\----------

“What are you doing!?” The Controller bellowed, looking at his troops fleeing like cowards. “I did not give an order to retreat!”

“That last blast hit the reactor, Controller!” The Operator groveled, “We have no hope but to retreat now!”

The Controller grabbed him by the neck, “We will stand our ground! They are nothing more than beasts! Beasts of _our_ creation! They _will **die!**_ ” In his fit of rage, he threw the Operator to the ground, and stormed over to a comm panel. “Contact the fleet! Send for reinforcements!”

“Controller!” A different Operator addressed, “We’re picking up starships!”

**_\-----------_ **

“The sensor net’s lighting up!” Rick shouted in alarm, looking over the holographic console. “There’s… More starships are coming in!”

Serizawa took a grave breath, closing his eyes. “More Xiliens?”

“…” Rick furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t think so… IFF pings them as hostile.”

“Well, would you look at that…” Barnes remarked, looking out the window at the large, sleek, curved and bulbous starship moving into position over the Xilien compound. “Looks like the cavalry’s here.”

\--------

“Controller!” A subordinate shouted in alarm, “Commonwealth starships, in omega attack formation!”

The Xilien Controller growled, fist shaking with rage, as the entire structure rocked from yet another assault from the Godzillas’ attacks. “The humans found a way to contact them.”

“Sir,” The communications operator turned to his superior, “They are hailing us.”

In an instant, without any of their input, the screen activated, displaying the control center of one of the incoming vessels. A green, ape-like alien, a Bilusaludo, sat in a chair on a high platform, wearing a captain’s uniform. Surrounding him were his subordinates in color-coded uniforms, some were tall, Amazonian-esque females, Kilaaks. Others were insectiods, appearing similar to bipedal, carapaced cockroaches with four, beady white eyes, the Nebulans. And some were tall, muscular, blue-skinned humanoids with goblin-like faces, the Garogas.

These four species were the backbone of the Galactic Commonwealth, the founders and protectors of more than a hundred-thousand different worlds across their territory. They were the mortal enemy of the Xiliens…

And now, the humans’ only hope for rescue.

 _“Attention Xilien base.”_ The Bilusaludo Captain addressed. _“I am Shipmaster Halu-elu Dolu-do, of the Cityship Shadow. This star system is now under the protection of the Galactic Commonwealth. Withdraw your military forces immediately, or face the consequences.”_

The Controller growled. “You have no authority here. We are a peaceful scientific envoy, there is no-“

 _“False.”_ Dolu-do instantly shot back. _“We’ve received a data transmission from this star system. We know everything. Your troop movements, weapons development initiatives, even defenses. Right now, my battle fleet is locking high-power plasma cannons onto your forces, and we are poised to fire. If you test me, you_ will _fail.”_

“…” The Controller looked around, hopeless. What was to be the Xiliens’ greatest weapon, the thing to reenable their conquest of the stars… turned against them, their facility being torn down in mere minutes.

He’d given the humans too little credit. They were more calculating, and far more savage, than he’d predicted.

 _“Lower your base’s shields.”_ The Captain ordered.

Still, the Controller felt like trying his luck. “And if I do not?”

 _“Then we leave you to the mercy of those creatures you’ve experimented upon.”_ Dolu-do responded with a stern look. _“And I do believe theirs is not as generous as ours.”_

The Xilien Controller could only feel rage at the universe, but more importantly, at himself for letting lesser lifeforms get the better of him. He remained silent as his hand shot over and pressed down on the button.

Immediately, he was rewarded by columns of light filling the room, each one holding in it Commonwealth troops, each one poised to attack.

\---------

That same light filled the command center, and frightened by the sudden appearance, the humans all put their hands up.

“Don’t shoot!” Maddie begged, hitting the button to retract her mask. “We’re humans! Humans! See!?”

In response, a Sheikah soldier lowered her weapon, and looked to her comrades, nodding.

The humans breathed out a sigh of relief, lowering their hands.

\---------

 _“Controller,”_ Dolu-do addressed with an audible smugness. _“I’ll now accept your unconditional surrender.”_

The Xilien controller barred his teeth but relented.

Nothing could save him now.

\-----------

The Xilien troops all throughout the base laid down their arms, getting to the floor, surrendering to the new arrivals.

And as they did so, they could only watch, as Cyber-Godzilla and Madzilla finally made contact again, in a carved-out space caused by their furious rampage.

\----------

 _“G…”_ Madzilla whispered to the one standing across from her.

_“Mads…”_

_“Long time.”_ She sniffled.

 _“…You have no idea.”_ He replied, slowly walking forward. He closed his eyes, as he finally got close enough to touch her. He took a breath.

Even after all that had been done… she still smelled the same.

 _“You got…”_ He tried to say.

 _“Freaky.”_ She answered.

 _“I like it.”_ He complimented. _“It’s a good look.”_

 _“Oh, well… thanks.”_ She tried to smile. _“You look good.”_

He snorted. _“I look like Frankenstein’s monster.”_

 _“You could look like a corpse,”_ She began in reply, _“I still wouldn’t care.”_

He sniffled, fighting back tears. He slowly approached, telegraphing his movements, but she didn’t flinch away, allowing him to gently nuzzle her.

 _“I missed you…”_ He blubbered. _“I missed you so much.”_

She closed her eyes, leaning into him. _“I missed you too big guy.”_ She rumbled. _“Though… I guess you’re not so big anymore.”_

 _“I’m still big, you just got bigger to compensate…”_ He tried to chuckle, only to gulp. _“I’m sorry…”_ He forced out. _“I’m so sorry… It’s my fault. It’s my fault…”_

 _“No.”_ She looked to him. _“Don’t blame yourself. I don’t have a problem with it.”_

_“You’re just saying that…”_

_“…then let me prove it.”_ She reached slowly up to his head, gently grasping the sides of his head. Slowly, she pulled him down, and locked her monstrous lips with his. _“I love you… this just makes it easier.”_

He sniffled. _“Mads… I wanna go home.”_

_“Then we’ll do just that.”_

\-------------

It had been difficult, trusting that the new aliens who had shown up really had wanted to help, but they did. According to the captain of the big ship, Pollux was a deep-cover operative that had been moving with the Xilien Remnant (they were far from an Empire anymore it seemed, just stragglers fighting a conflict that the rest of their species had long since come to a peaceful resolution for.), feeding back what he could to the Commonwealth Defense Force. The reason why he’d needed the humans’ help was because his own transmitter had been destroyed, and he couldn’t make it out to the Xiliens’ base to use theirs for obvious reasons.

Once they’d gotten the transmission, the battle fleet had dropped everything to come storming over to deal with the Controller and his cronies. And deal with them they did. The Xiliens tried to put up a fight, but whatever amazing technologies they had, the Commonwealth blew it out of the water, and in a few short hours, the Xiliens were on the path to being escorted back to the Capital, Jewel, for trial and sentencing.

As thanks for the humans sticking their necks out (though the good aliens couldn’t know or didn’t care that they had originally launched this mission for Godzilla), the Commonwealth gave them a lift back to Earth, and then absconded into the deep dark of space, but not without leaving the message that since humans cracked FTL travel, they’d be keeping an eye on things. What basically amounted to anthropologists studying an isolated civilization, but still, kind of exhilarating, in a terrifying way.

Now… things were back to some semblance of normal… almost.

Cyber-Godzilla slowly walked around the compound, looking at all of the buildings and whatnot scattered about. _“God… it feels like… years since I’ve seen this place.”_

 _“It’s good to be back home again… isn’t it?”_ Madzilla asked, grasping his hand in hers.

He smiled at her. _“Amazing…”_ He nuzzled her again.

Down on the ground, Maddie looked away. Seeing the two interact was stirring some seriously weird feelings in her. If they found their Godzilla again- no, _when_ they found their Godzilla again- Maddie was going to have some feelings to work through.

“You okay?” El asked, looking at Maddie.

“Hm?” Maddie glanced over, “Oh, it’s nothing.”

El looked suspicious, crossing her arms. Before she could say anything else, the others walked into the fray.

“I’d like to thank you both again.” Serizawa told them. “Without your help… I’m certain things would not have gone as smoothly as they did.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Maddie waved away.

El nodded in agreement. “Godzilla’s our friend, no matter what version. And I know he’d do the same for us.”

“Regardless…” Serizawa looked to them. “Thank you. What will happen now?”

“Well…” Maddie and El looked to each other. “We’ll keep searching. Ours is still out there, somewhere.”

Serizawa slowly nodded. “You never did say how you’re certain he’s alive.”

“I can… feel him.” Maddie explained, placing her hand over her heart. “Like… in my _soul._ If he were dead… I don’t think I’d be standing here talking right now.”

“…I see.” Serizawa said, though the way he said it made it clear he really didn’t understand. That was alright, most people couldn’t comprehend the bond she and Godzilla shared. “Well, I won’t keep you two any longer. I wish you both success.”

El smiled. “Thank you.” She turned to Maddie. “Ready to keep going?”

She looked to her native counterpart and Cyber-Godzilla, the two still lovingly nuzzling each other.

“Yeah…” Maddie said. Better get outta here before things got messy. She grasped El’s hand, and steadied her breathing.

El narrowed her eyes, and focused. The air rushed in a flash of light, and when the light faded, the two were gone, off to the next destination.

Their search was far from over… but they wouldn’t stop.

Not until they got their friend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	38. Parenthood

If you asked Godzilla what the strangest part of his life was, surprisingly, he wouldn’t say it was being pulled into an alternate dimension to be turned into a giant mutant. Not even meeting _basically God_ was the weirdest thing that happened to him.

Rather, the real mind-bending part of it all, for Godzilla at least, was becoming a father at fifteen. It was his own fault, of course, not like he was being _forced_ to adopt Dart II, but it was still _weird._

He had to be a role model now. That was especially weird.

Truthfully speaking, Godzilla didn’t consider himself a role model. He was a monster-fighting badass King, sure, but that was just his day job. He much preferred just goofing off with Maddie.

Speaking of Maddie… she was taking to ‘motherhood’ quite well, though really, from her perspective, ‘parenting’ Dart wasn’t anything different than taking care of a puppy. Teach him not to soil the floors, get him food and water, give him treats when he did something good and chide him for something bad.

Godzilla, though, had to put up with training Dart the _other_ ways. He matured _fast,_ going from big-dog-sized baby to three-hundred feet long in just a week. Which means his abilities manifested rather quickly too.

So, leading Dart to a wide-open space on the island, they started proper training.

 _“So, the first thing you need to know,”_ Godzilla laid out, _“You don’t want to use your atomic breath willy-nilly. Got that?”_

Dart chittered, tilting his head. _“Why not? It is my most powerful attack.”_

 _“Sure, but what happens if someone survives it?”_ Godzilla questioned.

 _“No one’s going to survive,”_ Dart replied, _“It’s impossible.”_

Godzilla shook his head. _“Nope. Dead wrong. Which leads to lesson number two. No matter how good you think you are, there is_ always _someone bigger, better, and ready to kill you just around the corner, understand?”_

 _“We’d be hard-pressed to find someone bigger than you, though!”_ Rodan heckled. _“You’re kind of a fatass!”_

Immediately, Dart broke out into giggles, laughing.

“Ha!” El, sitting nearby, laughed as well.

Godzilla looked down at himself. _“It’s muscle…”_

 _“Keep telling yourself that!”_ Rodan squawked.

Godzilla looked to Mothra, _“It’s muscle, Mothra, tell them!”_

 _“…I refuse to comment either way.”_ The Divine Moth wisely replied. _“Now, shouldn’t you be training?”’_

 _“Argh, fine.”_ Godzilla turned back to Dart. _“Alright kiddo, come at me.”_

 _“Um… what?”_ Dart blinked.

 _“Try to attack me.”_ Godzilla ordered.

 _“Uh… attack you?”_ Dart asked.

_“Yep, hard and quick as you can.”_

_“Uh, dad, no offense, but… I don’t want to hurt you.”_ Dart replied.

Godzilla snorted. “You _? Hurt_ me?” He chuckled, growling. “ _I’d like to see you try…_ squirt.”

Dart growled, roaring challengingly, before he began to charge. He was still quite young, spry, ready to fight. But Godzilla had experience.

Dart leapt, practically signaling his attacks with a big sign, and Godzilla effortlessly sidestepped, causing Dart to fall.

 _“Ah, yep, rule number one.”_ Godzilla pointed out. _“Don’t let the enemy know you’re coming.”_

Dart snarled, charging the spines on his back, causing Godzilla to shake his head as he released the pulse.

 _“What did I day?”_ Godzilla asked. _“Don’t use it. The point of this is to fight without your breath.”_

Dart growled, scraping his foot in the sand like a bull about to charge, before he did.

Godzilla sighed, repeating his previous move. _“You’ve still got a lot to learn.”_ He steadied himself, preparing for the next charge from Dart.

As the sparring between Godzilla and Dart continued, a sudden bang rippled through the air, a hole tearing itself in the sky a few meters away from Godzilla.

The monster whipped around in surprise, blinking, as he saw a strange, distorted reflection of himself on the other side. The other Godzilla seemed to be just as startled by the event, blinking in confusion, before the window suddenly snapped shut like it hadn’t been there at all.

With the fighting stopped, Godzilla could only think of one thing to say.

_“Somebody call a contractor. Tell him the foundation of the universe is busted.”_

The others all blinked. “What’re you talking about?” Maddie asked.

 _“You know, the big hole.”_ Godzilla tried to point, only for it to fall on deaf ears. _“NOBODY ELSE SAW THAT, WHAT!?”_

Rodan leaned down to El, covering his beak in a stage-whisper. _“Your brother needs to get sent to the nuthouse…”_

El laughed again, and Godzilla rolled his eyes, shaking his head, as he turned back to the fight.

\----------

Whenever Lonnie had tried to make him learn how to fight and kill back when he’d been human, Godzilla made a promise to himself that when he finally had a son, he wouldn’t do the same…

And yet, here he was. In fairness, Dart wasn’t a human who didn’t have to hunt and kill, but a kaiju that (if the track record so far was a fair indication) would soon be thrust into battles for his very life. But still, it made him feel guilty.

And when Dart himself finally asked the question, that just made it more difficult.

 _“Dad?”_ Dart asked, breathing heavily in between rounds, _“Why are we doing this?”_

 _“Ah, well… ah shit.”_ Godzilla sighed, sitting down. The others had since gone back inside, save for Maddie, who’d fallen asleep in the makeshift bleachers. _“You know we’re not the only giant monsters alive.”_

 _“Well, yeah,”_ Dart nodded, _“But what does that have to do with this?”_

 _“I’m the king.”_ Godzilla answered. _“So, whenever a giant monster gets outta hand, they normally go gunning after me. I don’t want you unable to defend yourself if that happens.”_

 _“…I can defend myself.”_ Dart replied.

 _“You’re only a_ week _old.”_ Godzilla replied. _“I wouldn’t even_ be _doing this with you, but that means now, they’re gonna be gunning for you too. I’m_ not _letting that happen. Or at least, not letting it end badly.”_

Dart remained silent.

Godzilla blinked, leaning back as he drew a breath. _“I ever tell you about my dad?”_

 _“Dadzilla,”_ Dart nodded, _“Mama talks about him sometimes.”_

 _“No, no, not him.”_ Godzilla shook his head, _“My biological dad. My human one. Lonnie Byers.”_

 _“I don’t know about him.”_ Dart replied.

 _“Well, he’s dead now.”_ Godzilla said. _“Ghidorah dropped me on him back in my early days… shit, I’ve only been at this for a few months, and I’m already calling them my ‘early days.’”_

 _“I’m sorry.”_ Dart told him.

 _“Ah, don’t worry about it.”_ Godzilla told Dart. _“He was a mean son of a bitch and a piece of shit. I’m not sad he’s dead. Good riddance to bad rubbish.”_

Dart tilted his head. _“Why don’t you like him?”_

 _“Like I said, he was an asshole.”_ Godzilla answered. _“Always picking on me. Not in the way that fathers normally do, not like how I horse around with you, but like a bully. Calling me queer, faggot, fairy, you name it…”_

Dart recoiled. He didn’t know half those words, but the venom Godzilla spat them with gave him all the indication he needed for how damaging they were. _“Why would he do that?”_

 _“I dunno.”_ Godzilla shrugged. _“He was constantly railing against anything he didn’t see as ‘manly.’ Reading, drawing, listening to certain types of music. Hell, I couldn’t even drink_ hot chocolate _without him getting pissy at me. And there was one time I was just humming a song I got stuck in my head and he started railing at me for ‘being gay.’”_ He huffed, shaking his head. _“He was always trying to do that. Get me to ‘man up.’ Which in his definition meant go out back and kill something. They day he stepped out of our lives was the happiest day of my life. For all of us. Even your Grandma Joyce was jumping up and down for joy.”_

 _“Really?”_ Dart tilted his head. _“She doesn’t hate anyone!”_

 _“That’s how bad he was.”_ Godzilla informed him. _“I guess I’m trying to say that I’m not doing this to try to force you into some nebulous definition of ‘manhood,’ or because I don’t like the way you are, but I’m doing this because I think it’s genuinely what’s best for you. I’m not going to be able to protect you 24/7, and one of these days, I may be gone entirely.”_ Godzilla rumbled. _“You’re going to have to learn this stuff if you wanna survive.”_

 _“…then I’ll bite.”_ Dart nodded after a moment. _“One thing:”_

 _“Hm?”_ Godzilla asked.

 _“You don’t have to make up stories of seeing holes in the world to get us to take a break.”_ Dart said. _“If I’m really giving you that hard a time, all you have to do is say ‘uncle!’”_

_“Oh, ha ha. I didn’t know I was raising a comedian.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	39. Battra Returns, Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I said in the past Godzilla wouldn't get a human form, but the more i thought about it, the more I decided that it was something useful, if only for a handful of chapters. I was worried about Godzilla basically becoming a hulk-clone, but i feel it'll level out if it's not too much of a regular thing, and Godzilla's dependent on Mothra to transform.

It had been a day like any other when it had occurred. No unusual events, ufo sightings, not even a monster attack. It was perfectly normal, calm, serene.

Rodan and El (no one saw _that_ friendship coming) were swindling people with card tricks, as usual, Mothra was using her ‘higher knowledge’ to help boost the efficiency and capabilities of the computers in the base, Dart was trying to climb that _damn volcano_ again, despite all the warnings, and Godzilla was just relaxing.

He liked relaxation, especially when it was just him and Maddie like this. Lazy days like this were perfect.

It was about to be shattered, though.

“Godzilla!” El came running into his den like a puppy hyped-up on sugar.

 _“Godzilla!”_ Rodan echoed, narrowly keeping from slamming into the wall.

 _“You’re not gonna believe this!”_ The two said at once, as Godzilla creaked his eyes open. _“WewereinVegaspullingcardtrickswithMothraandallofasuddentherewasthisbigboomandtheskywasdarkanditlookedlikewewereintheUpsideDownand-!”_

 _“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”_ Godzilla cut them off. _“Chill out, Flash!”_ He ordered, both of them shutting up. _“Good, now, tell me from the beginning,_ slowly. _”_

“Alright,” El nodded, “So, me, Mothra, and Rodan went to Vegas to pull card tricks in the casinos.”

Maddie’s eyebrows shot up. “Casinos? How did they fit?”

El rolled her eyes. “Mothra can make herself human, remember? And she figured out a way to do it on Rodan too.”

 _“She can do that!?”_ Godzilla yelped. _“Why won’t she do that for me!?”_

El shrugged. “You never ask her to. Anyway,” She continued, “The three of us had just got done cleaning out Caesar’s Palace-“

 _“That was good fun,”_ Rodan chuckled, _“When the bouncers threw us out, all me and Mothra had to do was tweak our faces a bit and they weren’t the wiser. Let’s just say Monarch won’t have to worry about funding for a while.”_

“Hey,” Maddie pointed to him, “Some of that had better be going _my_ way. This is Godzilla’s island, and I’m his girlfriend, so that makes it mine too. It’s about time we started charging you freeloaders rent.”

 _“Anyway,”_ El gritted her teeth, getting the conversation back on track, “We were walking out of Caesar’s Palace when it happened.”

Godzilla tilted his head, rumbling. _“When what happened?”_

El took a breath. “I was… _Over There.”_

Godzilla took a breath. _“You don’t mean…”_

El nodded. “The Upside Down.”

 _“El, I trust you about these things, but are you_ sure?” Godzilla questioned seriously.

El nodded. “It was dark, cold, dead. The ground was covered in the weird plants and those… white things were falling from the sky. It was the Upside Down.”

Godzilla growled, standing on his feet. _“The Mind Flayer’s up to something again. Get Mothra, we might need her help on this.”_

El nodded, turning to run for the Divine Moth.

 _“So…”_ Rodan blinked, turning around. _“Aren’t any of you going to explain what’s going on?”_

\----------

 _“We last saw the Mind Flayer in summer of ’85.”_ Godzilla explained to Mothra, the Moth Kaiju listening intently to what he had to say. _“Well, the last time we saw him properly. He showed up to help me kill this Red Monster we released on accident from a video game, and he was different, way different then, but it was him.”_

 _“…I see…”_ Mothra slowly nodded. _“The last time you encountered my… illustrious brother, not the time involving the game, what did he do?”_

“Really _bad_ stuff.” El replied, shaking with rage and discomfort as she remembered the Spider Monster. “He took control of a lot of people. Men, women, _children_ … He melted them into a body made to kill me.”

 _“Yes… such a perversion of life is well within his modus operandi.”_ Mothra recalled, sighing. _“You all came out of it alright, however? No sort of… I believe you humans use the term ‘bad touches?’”_

El blinked, recoiling. “No. Why would you _ask_ something like that?”

 _“…oh, Mothra, there you go again, remembering things that happened to different versions.”_ Mothra vaguely muttered. _“But never mind that, if you all made it out no worse for wear, that is most fortunate indeed.”_

“I almost _died,”_ El replied, “I lost my powers, my dad _did_ die, and thirty people died too.”

 _“My apologies, I did not mean to imply that the situation was not grave or did not have consequences.”_ Mothra apologized. _“But I am concerned for the_ now _. You said my brother did not typically try anything until the gate was open?”_

Godzilla nodded. _“The first time was just the Demogorgon, that’s what got me pulled over to begin with, and what started my mutations. The_ second _time, that was when the Mind Flayer, or Battra I guess, actually tried coming over. He possessed me and tried to come through the gate, but El stopped him and closed it. The third time the Russians had opened the gate from this side, and he used the bit of himself still trapped on this side to possess someone else and start making that Spider Monster.”_

 _“Hm… concerning.”_ Mothra mumbled. _“That implies that a party on this side, either knowingly or unknowingly, opened this gate.”_

El nodded. “And now, he’s going after _me_.”

 _“Not surprising.”_ Mothra commented. _“Brother always did have a vengeful streak to him. Why, there was this one lifeform, a Tyrannosaur I believe, who had stumbled onto the meal he’d hidden away.”_

El furrowed her brow. “What happened?”

_“You are aware that the dinosaurs were wiped out, yes?”_

Godzilla blinked. _“God… damn. That’s kind of disconcerting.”_ He commented. _“And now he’s back… We need to find out where he’s coming through, and what he’s planning. And why El’s getting those flashes.”_

Mothra nodded. _“Indeed. Come,”_ She told him, her wings beginning to glow as she approached him.

 _“Hey, hey, hey!”_ Godzilla backed off, gesturing. _“What’re you doing!?”_

Mothra tilted her head. _“We can’t conduct proper investigation with you in your current state.”_ She reasoned. _“According to your stories,_ all _gates have been localized to your hometown, Hawkins. That is the first place we must search, and you cannot as… yourself. You must temporarily assume a different form. One suited to blending in with the locals.”_

Godzilla blinked, looking down at himself. _“You mean… you can make me into a_ human _again?”_ He asked, which made Mothra nod in the affirmative, and El gasped.

“Godzilla, that’s great!” El radiantly smiled. “You can walk around in the base, and eat actual food, and I can do your nails again!”

 _“No, hold on,_ what!?” Godzilla spluttered to Mothra. _“That’s not- I don’t_ want _to be human! What if something attacks!?”_

 _“I can change you back with a mere flick of the wrist.”_ Mothra replied. _“And it’s this, or let Rodan come investigate with me.”_

 _“…yeah, okay, got me there.”_ Godzilla muttered. _“…what do I have to do? Will it hurt?”_

 _“No, my child.”_ Mothra murmured, approaching him now. _“Just fall into it. Don’t try to fight the pull.”_

Godzilla nodded, closing his eyes, as he felt the fire spring throughout him.

Every one of his cells felt warm, like standing under a comfortably hot shower head, and he could feel himself begin to change as well, bones popping, muscles compressing, hair springing out on his head.

He lost himself in it fully and slipped away.

\---------

When Godzilla returned to his senses, El was hovering over him, staring, with her jaw on the floor.

“El…” He croaked, freezing once he’d heard his voice. His _actual_ voice. His human voice.

“It’s you…” El breathed, looking at him, and Godzilla went to go feel his face. Slight peach fuzz, sharp jawline… he was just as he was when he was human…

Plus a few upgrades in the height and muscle department it seemed.

“Yeah.” Godzilla replied.

A draft brushed his skin, and he shivered, and El looked down, her eyes quickly shooting back up. “You’re _naked…_ ” She hissed.

Godzilla drew a sharp breath, hands flying to preserve his modesty. “Great going, Mothra… turn me to a human and leave me buck-ass nude. I’m sure that’ll be a big help to the investigation.”

“My apologies.” The human form of Mothra told him serenely, wearing entirely normal clothes as she approached. She tossed him a leather jacket, white shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of boots and socks. “It is much more difficult for me to create clothes for others. It was either leave you like this, or take the risk of you becoming part-silk.”

Godzilla shuddered, standing up and quickly slipping into the clothes. “Where’d you find these?”

“Mark’s wardrobe.” Mothra made a shushing gesture. “Don’t tell him.”

Godzilla snorted, slipping into the jacket. “Creator of all life in the universe _and_ a thief.” He shook his head, before doing a twirl, showing off his apparel. “Whaddya think?”

El smiled, looking him up and down. “Nice. Prett- no… handsome is the word for boys, right?”

Godzilla nodded. “Right.” He frowned, suddenly noticing something as his hand shot up to his head. “My hair’s shorter.” And he scowled, as his back felt really weird, the remnant of his dorsal spines roughly running down his spine like… the forehead makeup on a Klingon.

“I took a few liberties, obviously.” Mothra explained, as Godzilla looked his hands over, experimentally rotating his arms around, looking at the muscles. “You’re nowhere near as powerful as you were, of course, but still well above any normal human.”

“Do I still have my atomic breath?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Mothra nodded. “Yes. You’re perfectly suited to perform an investigation.”

“Awesome.” Godzilla smiled, teeth sharp and pointed, as he turned to El. “You ready?”

El looked considerate for a moment, like she was genuinely unsure of the prospect of returning to Hawkins, before nodding as well. “What are we going to tell everyone?”

“With luck…” Godzilla thinned his lips. “They won’t even be aware that we were even doing anything.”

“Okay…” El crossed her arms, looking to Mothra. “Shotgun.”

“Shotgun?” Mothra repeated, Godzilla echoing it as El hopped onto Mothra’s now-winged back.

“I’m not riding in your arms.” El explained. “If you drop anyone, I want it to be him.”

Godzilla huffed. “Thanks for your concern.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	40. Battra Returns, Part Two

Returning to Hawkins after such a long period of him being isolated or otherwise away from the town proper was honestly very disorienting. Everything looked the same, yet wildly different too. There was an aura of… darkness over the town, the wounds inflicted by Starcourt and the Mind Flayer still relatively fresh on the town.

El gasped, “Look!” She hollered, causing both Godzilla and Mothra to look to her, concerned. “The RadioShack got replaced with a Dominos! I love Dominos!”

Godzilla and Mothra blinked, their expressions exuding dry exasperation.

“Oh, right, serious stuff.” She awkwardly cringed. “Sorry.”

Godzilla shook his head, and they continued forth. “Right, so, what’s the plan?” He asked of Mothra.

“We survey the town.” Mothra answered as they walked. To anyone looking, the trio wouldn’t look any different to a regular family, a mother hauling her two kids around the town. “If there is portal activity here, we will sense it, eventually.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing. Remember when I was training with Dart and I saw that portal open?” He asked.

El huffed, rolling her eyes. “You were the only one who saw that one. The rest of us don’t even think it happened.”

“It did!” Godzilla insisted. “It _did_ happen! And Mothra didn’t feel _it_ either!”

“Exactly,” El agreed, “So _it didn’t happen.”_

“Godzilla, El, please, calm down.” Mothra sagely interjected. “The portal is localized here I am certain of it. We must find and close it before my Brother can use it to cross over.”

“Right, business before pleasure, okay.” Godzilla rubbed his face. “Where’s the portal?”

Mothra closed her eyes, slowly pivoting around, before she stopped, eyes snapping open. “That direction.”

“That’s…” El furrowed her eyebrows. “Isn’t that the direction of the schools?”

“Yeah.” Godzilla nodded. “But why-“ His eyes suddenly snapped open, inhaling. “Your portal.” He looked to El.

“ _My_ portal?” El repeated.

“After you killed the Demogorgon and got sent to the Upside Down, you said you found a portal that led back to _our_ version of the middle school!” Godzilla recalled. “What if that one never ‘healed’ all the way? The lab’s still being monitored, and the bunker was filled with concrete, the school portal would be perfect, not able to be stopped until it was too late!”

“Oh…” El breathed. “We need to get there, fast!” She said, looking to Mothra.

“Agreed,” Mothra stated, moving with purpose as she strode forward, down the street. “We must deal with the event before he can emerge.”

“Wait, hold up!” Godzilla told her. “It’s a _middle school!_ We’ll look so out of place!”

Mothra turned around, looking him up and down. “You’re both fifteen.”

“…oh.” Godzilla realized.

Funny what you forgot while being a King.

\---------

Mothra peeked her head around the corner first, seeing nothing more than an empty hallway. Walking further in, she waved the other two along, walking down the corridor.

As they walked, Godzilla’s eyes drifted around. It had been so long since he’d been in that place in any capacity, even an informal one like this. It felt like a lifetime, even though it had only been a year, two at the most.

“You okay?” El quietly asked, looking to him.

“Hm?” He glanced back. “Oh, I’m fine.”

El huffed. “Liar.” She looked to him. “…you’re remembering what it was like, aren’t you?”

“That obvious?” Godzilla asked, with a melancholy grin. It dropped off his face, and he sighed as they followed Mothra’s lead. “Yeah… I’ll be honest with you it was hell at the time. School, life… everything. But… I miss it.” He admitted. “Hanging out with the guys, playing D&D in Mike’s basement…”

“You can do that again now though.” El told him with a radiant smile. “Mothra can make you human whenever you want.”

“…I dunno.” Godzilla muttered. “I feel good about myself now… I don’t know if I’d want to go back.”

“It would not have to be a permanent state.” Mothra told him, as they finally reached the end of one hallway. Mothra frowned, placing a hand upon the painted-over concrete bricks. “Hm…”

“What is it?” Godzilla inquired.

“The portal was active…” Mothra muttered, eyebrows furrowing. “But it’s closed now…”

El tilted her head curiously. “What does that mean?”

“It means something’s already come through.” She gulped ominously.

“That’s correct.” Someone said, and they all whipped around to see the source.

El, the first one to truly recognize him, paled. “Papa…” She reflexively breathed, shakily going behind Godzilla for protection.

“You…” Godzilla growled. “I thought I killed you.”

“I could never be… put down for long, as it were.” Brenner smiled. He sniffed, looking at them all scrutinizingly. “Sister. I see you’re getting use out of your human template.”

Mothra’s eyes widened, and she immediately put herself between Brenner and the others. “When I say run… you two run.” She whispered to them.

Godzilla snorted. “I’ve killed this bastard once, I can do it again.” He narrowed his eyes at Brenner. “How did you do it, huh? How did you survive?”

“Yes… that…” Brenner chuckled, clasping his hands behind his back. “I never died to begin with.” He began pacing, as Mothra glared at him with all the hatred in her soul.

“What’re you talking about?” Godzilla demanded.

“The very simple answer is this;” Brenner looked to El. “I’m not your Papa, Eleven… but I am very, _very_ glad to see you here.” The lights flickered, and for a single instant, Godzilla and El could’ve sworn they saw a pair of glowing red, bat-like wings behind him, and an elongated head-like shadow casted over his actual head.

Godzilla stepped back, taking a breath. “Battra…”

Battra didn’t even smile at the realization, choosing merely to look at his hand. “I must admit, I was rather reluctant to choose this form, but seeing your reaction, Eleven…” He looked her in the eyes. “Made it all the sweeter.”

“Don’t you dare address her!” Mothra barked.

Battra looked to Mothra, sinisterly tilting his head. “I will address her however I like. You cannot stop me.”

“What’re you even doing here!?” Godzilla demanded. “I thought after Red kicked your ass you were dead!”

Battra’s head snapped to look at Godzilla, “My _dear sister,”_ He sneered, “Is not the only one of us who can reincarnate as she pleases. As for my purpose here… you are -all of you- _vermin._ An infestation to be wiped out.”

Mothra barred her teeth, silently snarling at Battra. “If you wish to destroy those on this world, you will have to answer to _me_ first.”

Battra growled, shaking his head. “Why do you insist on protecting these… disgusting humans?” He asked of Mothra. “They do nothing more than consume, spread, war with each other, pollute, and so much more. This world could be such a shining place without them.”

“Your rage has already destroyed all other intelligent life in this universe.“ Mothra clenched her fists. “You _shall not_ harm any others.”

Battra said nothing at first, merely choosing to draw in a breath. “So be it, then.”

He took _one_ step forward, and that was all the excuse Mothra needed. She screeched, a glob of silk shooting out from her mouth into Battra’s face, covering and temporarily blinding him.

“GO!” Mothra ordered the two, leaving no room for argument as she charged Battra.

Godzilla looked on, dumbfounded for the moment. He wanted to stay and help Mothra fight, but he _had_ to get El out of there, plus all the other students who were likely to be there.

Godzilla grunted in frustration, pulling the semi-catatonic El along, as he ran _away_ from a battle for the very first time.

Feet thunderously banging against the polished concrete floor, Godzilla and El ran as far away from the fight as they could, before finding the alarm. Pulling the lever down, the bell began to ring in a furious cacophony, and the students launched into the evacuation.

“Alright, let’s go back!” Godzilla said to her, causing El to blink.

“She said run _away_!” El recalled.

“That she did!” Godzilla replied, running back towards the scene of the fight.

“Hey!” El shouted, running after him.

\-----------

Battra screeched as he was sent flying through the air, hitting the wall and cracking it as he slid to the ground. He got to his feet, furiously snarling, as he marched up to Mothra, launching into a flurry of fist-strikes that Mothra deftly and effortlessly dodged, looking like she wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

“Argh--remain--still!” Battra hatefully snarled, trying to land any hit he could.

Mothra kept dodging him, the corners of her lips tilting up. “You’ve gotten quite rusty in your old age, brother.” She taunted, striking him in the sternum and sending him flying back once again.

He slid to the floor head tilted down out of her sight. Thus, she couldn’t see the satisfied, leering smile on his features. Lure Mothra into a false sense of security by throwing his fighting skills.

He very much enjoyed playing with his prey before ending them.

Mothra drew a breath, about to spit enough silk to pin him to the wall, when Battra suddenly launched to his feet, dodging the shot as effortlessly as someone would dodge a slow-moving ball.

Mothra, eyes shooting fully open in surprise, tried to shoot at him again, but Battra dodged it yet _again_ , jumping into a midair side-flip, a maneuver far, far beyond the capability of a normal man similar to his current body would appear to have.

As he got way to close to her for her comfort, Mothra reflexively released a cloud of her scales, snapping it into a solid shield from the direction Battra was approaching.

Battra looked at the shield, growling lowly, before his eyes flickered over to the wall, and a small, sinister smile fell on his face. He launched into a furious sprint, running _up_ the wall, kicking off of it. As he twisted through the air, he channeled his metamorphic abilities out of his hands, forming objects in each one.

When he landed behind her, and Mothra whipped around to face him, Battra was suddenly wielding two daggers composed of uniform, sharp, black chitin, with wide, curved blades almost like mini scimitars. Before Mothra could react, Battra made a quick motion, slashing a deep cut into her cheek.

“ACK!” Mothra grunted in pain, hand flying to her cheek as she reshaped her scales into a sword of her own, blazing gold, and she brought it up to block the downward slashes of Battra’s daggers.

The two locked weapons, and eyes, and Battra grinned.

“Who’s rusty _now,_ dear sister?” He sneered, pulling away one dagger first, going to stab. Mothra reacted by trying to block it first, leaving her wide open for the other dagger to be plunged into her flesh.

Mothra screamed in pain, dropping her sword, and the other dagger plunged into her body as well, before she fell, dripping blood that looked like liquid light, pure white and shining like the sun.

Battra stood above her, flicking the blood off his daggers. “Why, that was _almost_ a challenge. Is this what has become of you Mothra? The Mightiest Monster in All Creation, letting _others_ fight her battles for so long that she can no longer defend herself?”

Mothra wheezed, trying to think of a comeback or _anything_ that could stall her dark twin long enough for her to regenerate her wounds.

She came up with nothing.

“Don’t worry, Mothra,” Battra grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head up to look at him as he brought the dagger to her skin, “I’ll make their death painless.”

Mothra closed her eyes, waiting for the strike to come, when suddenly, a blue beam lanced from down the hall, blowing Battra away, knocking his daggers to the floor.

Godzilla stood, El by his side, eyes glowing blue and mouth steaming with heat and energy.

“We can’t say the same for you, though.” Godzilla growled, standing poised to attack.

Battra seethed, quaking with rage as he got back to his feet. As he looked to Mothra, however, he smiled, satisfied with his handiwork.

“Enjoy this victory,” He told them, “It _will_ be your last.” His skin began to glow, red light lighting up his veins, as his body began to stretch and morph, growing an enormous set of wings, as he became more moth-like.

Battra was returning to normal, breaking through the walls and roof of the building, wings beating to keep himself aloft.

With a deep, bellowing screech like a twisted reflection of Mothra’s trilling cry, Battra took flight, to parts unknown.

“Damnit!” Godzilla cursed, looking to the rapidly receeding shadow.

“Godzilla!” El called to him, causing him to spin around. She was bent over, hunched over Mothra’s inert form. “I-I don’t- Is she dead!?”

Godzilla paled, rushing over to check. First, he placed an ear to her chest, hearing her strange, double heartbeat. Two hearts. Huh. Made sense, she’d need all the organ redundancies she could take going up against Battra. Next, Godzilla placed an ear over her mouth and nose.

“Still breathing, hearts still beating…” He sighed. “She’s alive.”

“Then why won’t she wake up!?” El questioned.

Godzilla frowned, looking over the two deep, large stab wounds in her body, right near vital parts. The wounds were glowing even brighter than her strange blood, as they slowly knit themselves back together.

“Must be… some kind of a healing coma.” Godzilla guessed. “She probably won’t wake up until the wounds are gone.”

“Well, that’s bad!” El stated. “Battra’s out there now, and we can’t fight him! Not with you like that!”

Godzilla looked down at his hands. And _there_ was the reason why he didn’t want to go back to being human to begin with. He hated being right.

“I can’t fight him, can’t change back until Mothra wakes up which I have _no idea_ the timetable of…” He muttered. “And the only ones still as they are is Dart and Rodan, who I do _not_ trust to handle this…” He mumbled.

 _‘Think, Godzilla, think.’_ He willed himself. What they needed was someone who had experience fighting monsters, which sure, Rodan had, but Rodan was _not_ going to be able to fight Battra on his own and forget about sending Dart in there entirely. Maddie wouldn’t forgive him if something happened.

What they needed was someone who had dealt with this thing before, was tough, and smart enough to outsmart Battra. Someone like him…

Godzilla’s eyes snapped open as he came to the conclusion. “El!” He turned to her. “Remember when you sent me to that other world, and you and Maddie had to track me down? Not the mirror universe, the time before that!”

El frowned, but nodded. “Dadzilla’s world.”

Godzilla huffed. “Yes, I suppose, but _must_ we call him that?” He spluttered to himself, shaking his head. “Whatever. Anyway, would it be possible to find _that_ Godzilla, and bring him _here_ instead of sending me there?”

El slowly nodded. “Yes… why?”

“When dealing with a bully… you sic the parents on ‘em.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	41. Battra Returns, Part Three

"Are you sure you can do this?” Godzilla worriedly asked, standing across from El in the school gym locker room, using the showers to generate the white noise she needed. He was carrying Mothra bridal style in his arms as she slowly regenerated, showing no signs of waking up.

“Yes.” El said, ripping off one of Mothra’s sleeves.

Godzilla winced. “Oof. She’s not gonna be happy about that.”

El merely shrugged, tying the sleeve around her eyes as a blindfold. “It’s silk, she can fix it back.” She took in a deep breath, going still.

Watching El use her powers was always freaky, even as his normal kaiju self. The air became charged, a low-vibration rumbling surrounding the area around her, like the universe itself was bending to El’s will.

Before long, he could feel the air rippling with power, and the light flickered, before suddenly, a deep, screeching roar echoed throughout the place, and El ripped her blindfold off.

“He’s here.” El stated.

“And he doesn’t sound happy.” Godzilla recognized, looking to her. “Didn’t you tell him what you were doing?”

“…no?” El asked, shrugging. “I just found him and brought him here… Was I not supposed to do that?”

“Oh, great going…” Godzilla rolled his eyes, huffing. “Come on!” He told her, running for the exit.

El launched into a sprint after him, making sure that he didn’t accidentally knock Mothra against anything, as they sprinted outside to meet the new arrival.

\---------

_Mothra walked along the empty, cold landscape. The lava flows had long since solidified and cooled, forming land. But those features did not interest her._

_Instead, it was the pool of chemicals, acids and elements sitting and stirring._

_Mothra drew a breath, placing a hand into the primordial soup, pulling it up. The entire puddle was drawn out of the ground, morphing, twisting, coagulating into something._

_Proteins locked together, chaining with one another for the very first time, forming helixes, cells, organs._

_For the first time, Mothra was not the only form of life in the cosmos._

_The body solidified into a male reflection of Mothra, eyes wide and naïve, looking around with curiosity._

_“Your name is Battra.” Mothra told him to begin with._

_“My… name… is… Battra.” Battra slowly repeated, like an infant learning how to speak._

_“You,” Mothra continued with a small smile. “Are my brother.”_

_“I… am your brother.”_

_Mothra’s radiant smile ever widened. “You and I are going to do something_ wonderful _.”_

_Throwing an arm around the shoulders of her newborn brother, the two walked into the new horizon, ready to set to work._

\---------

The Elder Godzilla roared, looking around in frantic confusion, as the citizens of Hawkins ran, their self-preservation instincts overriding the knowledge that the Godzilla they were most experienced dealing with wouldn’t harm a hair on their head.

The native Godzilla, still carrying Mothra, ran out to the field out back of the school with El, looking up at the towering lifeform.

“Jesus…” Godzilla breathed. “Is that what I look like normally?”

“Yeah,” El nodded in confirmation, “It is.”

The Elder Godzilla stomped, the entirety of the town shaking as though it were at the center of an earthquake.

“Shit, we’ve gotta stop him before he goes on a rampage!” Godzilla resolved, setting Mothra down for the moment, before he cupped his hands around his mouth. “Godzilla!” He called, trying to get the other version’s attention. “Godzilla, calm down, you’re with friends!”

El looked to her Godzilla’s efforts, and their utter failure, before she rolled her eyes, looking to the titan. “DADZILLA!” She shouted, and with that echoing addressing, he immediately stopped.

“…huh.” Godzilla blinked, looking to El. “I didn’t think he’d respond to that.”

“Of course he would, he’s _your_ dad.” El said, as the Elder Godzilla strode over.

Godzilla spluttered. “No, he’s not!”

“Keep telling yourself that.” El replied, as the full-size Godzilla leaned down, bracing himself on the ground as he looked between El and Godzilla.

The Older Godzilla looked between them, before his eyes fell on El, and he rumbled in recognition. _“Eleven… it has been quite some time.”_

“Months.” El agreed, before she smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

The Older Godzilla chuckled lowly. _“Indeed, even if it is unexpected.”_ He answered, looking to Godzilla. _“And who is this?”_

Godzilla swallowed, taking a breath. “It’s me.”

The Older one blinked, pulling back slightly, before his brow knit, recognizing the voice belonging to the human. _“…Pup?”_

Godzilla nodded. “What’s up Dad- Godzilla?”

El laughed, coughing. “Smooth.”

“Shut up, that nickname’s your fault.”

“Sorry about just… pulling you here.” El looked to the Older one. “It’s kinda an emergency.”

The full-size Godzilla looked to the human form of his younger counterpart, raising a single brow. _“I can see that.”_

“Oh, no, that’s not the emergency.” El replied. “Well, it _is_ kinda part of it, but not all of it.”

Godzilla sighed, rolling his eyes, deciding to just get to the point. “There’s a giant moth monster attacking the place named Battra, and we can’t stop him right now for obvious reasons.”

 _“I see…”_ The Older Godzilla stood tall, sniffing the air. He seemed to smell something, before his eyes narrowed. _“I smell something, tinged with death, decay, and corruption.”_ He looked to the humans below.

“Yep,” Godzilla nodded. “Sounds like him.”

 _“He has already gone quite a distance away from here.”_ The Older Godzilla rumbled, lowering his hand. _“But if we move swiftly, we may be able to keep up.”_

“Right,” Godzilla nodded, setting Mothra down in the older one’s hand, before climbing up. He turned around, offering El a hand to pull her up after him.

The Older Godzilla stood up, looking down at the figures collected in his palm. _“Is that…?”_

“Mothra.” El finished, looking up at Godzilla with a tilted head. “You know her?”

 _“…I always recognize my Queen. No matter what form she takes.”_ The Older rumbled. _“But she seems… powerful, even in that form.”_

“Well, that’s to be expected.” Godzilla replied. “Creator of all life, and all.”

 _“…Creator of all life… hmm…”_ The Older Godzilla quizzically rumbled, before he began to walk. _“You will have to fill me in on this Battra’s capabilities. I fought my own world’s equivalent of him once, but I cannot take the chance that_ everything _will be the same.”_

“So, what do you need?” El inquired.

 _“History, capabilities.”_ The Older Godzilla answered. _“Things of that nature.”_

“Alright.” Godzilla nodded, settling in to figure out a place to start. “It all started… when I was twelve…”

\-------

_On a cliff of sparkling diamond, overlooking a vast, stretching expanse of blue grass and silver trees, stood two figures. They’d gone from many forms, human, to their preferred, natural-feeling imago forms, to the current insect-like biped forms they were wearing now._

_“Oh… how beautiful.” Mothra remarked, looking out on the purple sky, becoming blue as the sun began to set. “You’ve made a very well-done piece of work, brother.”_

_“Thank you.” Battra bowed slightly. “But wait, until you see the things that call this place home.”_

_Mothra’s head snapped to him, and she sighed. “Battra… I thought we had an agreement. You would not try to create life without my help.”_

_“I’ve grown since then.” Battra replied, not arguing, stating a fact. “More experienced. Wiser. I can_ do _this.”_

_“More experienced, yes.” Mothra granted. “But wiser…”_

_“Don’t worry, sister.” Battra responded. “You’ll see.”_

_He turned to look off the cliff, and soon, one of Battra’s creations came into the area, burrowing its way up from underground._

_The thing was a biped, a walking mockery of animals made out of mycelium and fungi._

_“The animal organs and cells are still a bit beyond me.” Battra explained, as his creation’s head split open, like a five-petaled flower with teeth. “But I figured out a way past that!”_

_Mothra gulped, fighting the urge to recoil in disgust. The thing was_ born _starving, it’s body almost too emaciated to support its own weight, and she could nearly see through it, through the plant-like innards of its body._

_“So…” Battra looked to her promptingly. “What do you think?”_

_“Battra, this…” Mothra began, as her brother looked upon her expectantly, excitedly, and she stared down at the_ thing _walking over the surface. “This is disgusting…”_

_Battra’s face fell. “Disgusting…?”_

_“It’s starving, it can’t support itself, and it’s leaving disease in its wake!” Mothra replied. “If you let things like that live, it will be in nothing more than torment. That is_ not _life. It is pestilence.”_

_“…oh.” Battra muttered, chided, as Mothra’s hand shot out, and she ripped apart the walking disease apart at the proteins. “Sister, I-“_

_“From now on,” Mothra adjusted her body’s carapace, “Anything more complex than a tree or grass, you leave to_ me _.” She ordered, walking away from the cliff edge._

_“Yes, sister.” Battra bowed, staring in the back of her head._

_“If there are more of those, I suggest you get rid of them.” Mothra advised, shifting back to her natural form, taking flight once more towards the stars._

_“…yes, sister.” Battra muttered, turning back to the cliff edge. She did have a point… no niche to fill, all they did was consume and spread._

_Battra nodded to himself. Diseases, pestilence, they had to be wiped out. Just like Mothra had said._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	42. Battra Returns, Part Four

“Where’s he going?” El muttered, holding on as the Elder Godzilla stomped purposefully through the wide fields surrounding Hawkins, following in Battra’s life-sucking wake to wherever it was he was heading.

“I don’t know…” Godzilla answered, frowning. “What’s the closest city now? Not Indianapolis, or Chicago…”

“Columbus, Ohio.” El recalled.

“Maybe not the closest city, but the closest _capital_ city…” Godzilla muttered, looking to Mothra.

 _“What is Mothra’s status?”_ The Older Godzilla asked, following the trail with purpose.

“Her wounds are healed,” Godzilla relayed, “But she’s still not waking up. It’s like… I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.”

 _“I see…”_ The Older one rumbled. _“I must admit, there are some parts about this Battra that you’ve told that concerns me.”_

Godzilla looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Really? Well then, shoot.”

 _“You mentioned that Battra was responsible for possessing humans, melting them down into a mass to forge into a body.”_ The Older one recalled.

Godzilla nodded. “Yeah… summer of ’85. There was a silver lining, though. He couldn’t possess people he didn’t encounter in-person.”

“Yeah, like at Halloween where he had to get you out in the field and-“

Godzilla’s eyes bugged out, and he made crossing motions with his arms, going to cut her off.

The Older Godzilla looked down, raising an eyebrow. _“What is she talking about?”_

“Oh, nothing.” Godzilla replied. “OW!” He screeched, pulling his hand away from her mouth, looking at the bite marks in his palm. “YOU BIT ME!”

“Don’t cover my mouth and you won’t get bit.” El stated simply. “But yeah, back around Halloween, before he became Godzilla, he got possessed in the field out in front of the school.”

“El… no…” Godzilla covered his face in embarrassment, looking down.

The Older Godzilla rumbled in surprise. _“Possessed? You were possessed as well?”_

Godzilla let out a frustrated sigh. “Unfortunately.”

“It… was pretty bad.” El recalled. Even from the outside perspective, it was _bad_.

“Like… he was taking control slowly, really slowly, so slowly that I didn’t even realize it wasn’t _me_ making my own choices anymore.” Godzilla quietly recalled. “By the end of it… it wasn’t me in there anymore just Battra, or the Mind Flayer, whatever… But I’m fine now.” He stood determinedly tall. “Better than ever. If there’s one positive thing that came from it, it was that we think the possession was responsible for accelerating my mutations.”

The Older one stopped, growling. _“…I see…”_

“Um…” El looked up to him, worried. “Are you okay?”

 _“This… Battra,”_ The Older Godzilla frowned, _“Is out of line. He messed with_ my _pup.”_

“OH!” A smile split El’s face as she pointed to her Godzilla. “See!? He _is_ your dad now!”

“…swell.” Godzilla muttered.

Thus, _Dad_ zilla marched, a protective fire igniting deep in his being, as he followed the trail left behind by the Spreader of Death.

\-----------

_Mothra glided to the ground gently, sailing upon a current of wind, before she slipped back into her tiny, bipedal form, adjusting her clothes._

_“At last!” A priest of the area bowed in worshipful awe as Mothra walked down from the steps of the ‘landing pad’ they had created for her. “The goddess has returned!”_

_“Kyrix,” Mothra smiled, addressing the crab-like man kindly, “It has been many years since I’ve last seen you. Your people have grown quite a lot.”_

_“Why, thank you,” Kyrix bowed again. “It was very hard work, I assure you.”_

_“It’s been some time since I was summoned to your world.” Mothra recalled, looking around at the obsidian-paved streets and buildings of this town. The last time she visited, they were living in mud huts built into the ground. “How are things going here?”_

_“Well.” Kyrix answered. “The crops yield enough to feed the entire city, and we’ve just finished mining a mineral vein and are set to move to the next.” His pleasant smile fell. “Ah, but… there is something that troubles us.”_

_“Oh?” Mothra raised an eyebrow. “How so?”_

_“It’s a storm, most unnatural.” Kyrix answered. “As dark and impenetrable as the night, sparking with lightning redder than the most vibrant ruby. It will blow into a valley or a canyon, linger there for hours, and when it moves on… almost everything is dead. Yet, it will leave plants and nothing else.”_

_“Plants…” Mothra repeated, frowning, before her eyes widened in realization. “Battra.”_

_“Your brother is the one responsible for the storm!?” Kyrix chittered in surprise. “But… why would he do such a thing!? Surely we have done nothing to earn such retribution!”_

_Mothra looked up to the sky, “I would very much like to know that as well.” She stated, her voice echoing thunderously through the atmosphere of the entire planet._

_The sky began to darken, the sun being blotted out as a massive shadow began to fall across the land, red lightning striking the ground underneath as the storm moved against the wind. Part of the jet-black clouds parted, revealing her brother in his Imago form, hovering in the air, generating the storm around him._

_“I am simply following your orders, sister.” Battra answered. “Does it not please you?”_

_“Does it… no!” Mothra scowled. “I gave you no such orders to wipe out innocent lifeforms!”_

_“These lifeforms,” Battra looked down to the crab-like bipeds, “Are far from innocent. They spread, consume, infest. They’ve drained their world of its resources and have given nothing back but death and decay. They are pestilence, they must go.”_

_“Battra, no!” Mothra shouted, as a strike of lighting came down, vaporizing Kyrix. “STOP THIS INSTANT!”_

_“I’m sorry, sister. But this has to be done.” Battra said, blasting her. “I’ll spare you the pain of having to watch them go. When you awake, they’ll be gone, and you can start anew.”_

_Mothra screamed as the electricity ripped through her, sending her to the ground. The pain was far, far too much to bear, and as she slipped into unconsciousness, she had only one thought._

_The thought that she’d made a mistake, and now others were paying for it._

\-----------

Mothra groaned, forcing her eyes open against the bright, shining sun. She rubbed her head, sitting up.

“Mothra…” El breathed in relief, throwing her arms around the human. “You’re alright!”

“I’m fine…” Mothra grunted. “Battra was much more… up-to-date with his fighting skills than I had expected.”

“Yeah, we noticed.” Godzilla grumbled, getting next to her. “We were worried for a while there. Are you sure you’re okay? We couldn’t wake you up.”

“Fine, just…” Mothra drew a breath, as the last memories of Battra’s betrayal crossed her mind. “Remembering better days.”

“Hm,” Godzilla helped her sit up. “Well, I hope you’re ready to change the both of us back. We’re on a beeline for Battra now.”

“I see.” Mothra nodded, before she frowned. “Who’s carrying us?”

“Momthra, Dadzilla, Dadzilla, Momthra.” El quickly introduced the two to each other.

“Oh, yes…” Mothra smiled up at the Older Godzilla. “You’re the one who got this one started on the ‘kingly’ path. I must admit, you’re… handsomer than the story suggested.”

The Older Godzilla chuckled. _“You’re not half bad yourself, little Moth.”_

“Oh my God, guys…” Godzilla blushed, rubbing his face. “Time and a place for flirting.”

_“Hey, my biological clock’s ticking.”_

“GODZILLA!” Godzilla yelped.

\---------

“So… you and Battra, you’re siblings. Like, actually?” El asked curiously, as the Older Godzilla carried them towards Battra’s location.

Mothra was waiting to change herself and Godzilla back, saying that just one of them moving would be more efficient. Supposedly.

Mothra nodded. “He is… and he and I used to be unstoppable together.”

“Really…” El breathed. “What were things like, before? When you and him were still friendly with each other.”

“Oh, that…” Mothra breathed in reminiscence, leaning back. “Things were _amazing_. The universe full of life, teeming with it to the brim. Trillions of stars, Quadrillions of planets, each one bearing civilizations and cultures wilder than anything here on earth. And they were all thanks to our efforts.” The corner of her lips tilted up in a smile. “You should’ve seen the universe -and us- back then. Still young, ready to meet the future head-on, rearing to seize the day and make it whatever we wanted. Think of it,” Mothra looked to Godzilla, “Worlds made of liquid crystal. Great cities made of song serenading the cosmos for eternity, planets where the people shone like their own miniature suns. All those things… and so much more…” Her smile fell. “…all gone now. Earth’s the only planet with intelligent life left. All because of…”

“…Because of Battra.” Godzilla finished.

“No, no,” Mothra swallowed, regretfully wiping her face, supporting her head in her hand. “Because of _me.”_

“You?” El incredulously asked. “You didn’t kill all those people though…”

“I didn’t… but it is my fault they’re dead.” Mothra sighed. “Battra was my responsibility, my creation, _my_ brother.” She played with her hands, slowly moving like she was cracking her knuckles. “…we were young and naïve. The both of us. Battra was… like a newborn. Soaking up any information he could get and categorizing it. And I was his big sister, the ultimate authority in his mind. Any instruction I gave him, any command, he’d take and run with it to the extreme.” She sighed, rubbing her face, feeling the same regret and frustration she had for the longest time like it was fresh in her mind. “I was young and stupid. Too high off my successes to realize the kind of powder keg I was about to set off.”

 _“We’re all young and stupid, at some point in our lives.”_ The Elder Godzilla rumbled wisely. _“If you can find me someone who hasn’t made mistakes, that’s someone who hasn’t lived at all.”_

“Still… my mistakes were the ones that had repercussions for… the entire universe.” Mothra pulled her legs up, clenching her jaw. “When Battra set out on his mission, he’d knocked me unconscious… I was out for… millions of years.” She explained, swallowing. “When I finally woke up… most of the universe had fallen silent, still. The only forms of life left over were small bacteria and plants. But… there was one planet Battra hadn’t managed to get to.”

“Earth.” Godzilla guessed.

Mothra nodded with a smile. “Earth was the one we started out on… it was only fitting in Battra’s mind that it should be the last one he targeted.” She bit her lip. “I flew as fast as I could… my body almost ripped itself apart on the journey, and when I arrived… I’ll never forget the look on his features.”

“Surprised?” El asked.

“Expectant.” Mothra corrected. “He did all of that… committed genocide across the cosmos, tore down everything he and I had ever worked to build, and when he laid eyes upon me again… it was like a child presenting an arts and crafts project to their parent, waiting for the reaction. He wanted me to be _happy_ with what he’d done. And when I told him I wasn’t…”

 _“I did everything!” Battra roared to her. “I did_ everything _you_ ever **asked!”**

_“I did not ask for this.” Mothra growled._

_“You promised me we were going to do something amazing,_ together!” _Battra screamed. “YOU LIED TO ME!” He seethed with rage, the storm clouds being generated by his being swirling around in a cyclone._

_Mothra stood, inscrutable, her mandibles clamped shut for a few seconds. “I did not lie. You changed.”_

_“I just…” Battra gestured futilely. “I just want you to be proud of me. You’re my sister, Mothra, I love you.”_

_“…I love you too, brother,” Mothra slowly replied, “But I can’t forgive you.”_

“…it was my fault.” Mothra murmured in the present. “I was so… excited by my successes, so blinded by triumph… I didn’t realize the full implications of what I done. Battra was a newborn, a child, and I expected him to act as my equal. To just… get wisdom by doing.” She looked down. “He did, in a way… it was just the wrong sort of wisdom.”

“…so what happened?” Godzilla asked quietly.

“I couldn’t get him to stand down…” Mothra answered sadly. “So… I had to fight. It was either him, or let Earth become just as desolate as all the other worlds he’d destroyed.”

“Obviously you won.” El guessed.

“…I defeated an enemy,” Mothra told the girl, “But it was not a victory.”

 _“Hm…”_ The Elder Godzilla rumbled. _“We’ve_ all _fought one of those.”_

“And now… I have to fight him again…” Mothra swallowed. It was clear that despite all that Battra had done, the wounds he’d inflicted on _all_ of them, she didn’t want to fight him again.

“No,” Godzilla placed a hand on her shoulder. “ _We_ have to fight him again.”

“…thank you.” Mothra muttered. She drew a breath, getting to her fight. “Right. I suppose that means it’s time.”

“What about efficiency?” Godzilla asked, crossing his arms sardonically.

“A clever lie to delay the inevitable.” Mothra admitted.

“Right.” Godzilla nodded. He expected as much.

“What about me?” El asked, causing the two to look at her. “I mean… My powers are strong enough to hurt him, but I’m tiny. There’s not much I can do, other than get in the way.”

“…El, my dear.” Mothra addressed after a moment of consideration. “How much do you know of the legends of Infant Island?”

“Not much.” El replied. “Why?”

“Well, I’m not sure how much of the accounts survived, but in times of _extreme_ duress,” Mothra began in explanation, “I could use the same mechanism I use to turn Titans into humans in the reverse.”

El’s eyebrows shot up. “You could turn _people_ into titans?” She breathed in wonder.

“Yes…” Mothra nodded. “So… how about it? It has been many years since I last met a soul worthy of the honor. I would _love_ to fight alongside you.”

“Me too.” Godzilla looked to her with a giddy smile.

 _“I as well.”_ The Elder one rumbled.

“I’d…” El gaped in awe. “I’d love to.”

“Then that settles it,” Mothra smiled, throwing her arms around Godzilla and El’s shoulders. “Let us _all_ go into battle. Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	43. Battra Returns, Part Five

Far above the city of Columbus, Ohio, Battra hovered in the air, like a dark, distorted moon. Inky black storm clouds of hatred swirled, twisting around him, continuously bombarding those on the ground with ruby-red lightning. The clouds spread out, like parasitic roots, filling the sky, sucking the life out of everything they touched.

 _“Hmph.”_ Battra harumphed, looking down on the pests below with distaste. _“All the trouble this world has given me, I expected it to be harder to finish off.”_

 _“BATTRA!”_ A furious voice screeched, shooting towards him with such speed she looked like a comet, leaving a trail of blazing white light behind her.

Before Battra could react, she slammed into him, knocking him to the ground, releasing all her energy in a pulse so powerful it obliterated everything directly below them.

Battra growled in rage, pushing himself back up. _“Sister… I see you’re awake.”_

 _“I was never easy to put down for long.”_ Mothra scowled, as the ground quaked with the approach of Godzilla.

Battra got to his feet, looking upon the arrival with distaste. _“Leave, interloper. This business is between my sister and I.”_

 _“Maybe.”_ The scarred Godzilla rumbled. _“But it became my business when you possessed my_ _pup.”_

Battra huffed in consternation. _“Your pup… Oh, I see. You’re one of those sanctimonious ‘god lizards’ that used to run around here before_ I _ended them all.”_ Battra laughed. _“I was wondering when I would finally get to encounter you. I based the current model off of your design after all. Well, not_ your _design, but there was another one of you running around here before I got my hands on that human.”_ He snorted. _“Where is the pest, by the way?”_

The Older Godzilla rumbled. _“Far away from here.”_

 _“Hm. A pity.”_ Battra commented.

 _“Why?”_ The Older Godzilla challengingly rumbled. _“Afraid you’ve finally met someone who can beat you into the ground?”_

 _“Oh, no, a pity for_ you.” Battra replied. _“You would’ve had a better shot at victory with three fighters… maybe.”_

 _“We may not outnumber you severely, but we do have one advantage.”_ Mothra narrowed her eyes. _“Strength in unity.”_

 _“Oh, please.”_ Battra huffed, derisively rolling his eyes. _“The old lesson every sapient teaches to their child ‘friendship conquers all!’ Bah.”_

 _“It’s true.”_ Mothra growled.

 _“Hm… then let’s put that to the test, shall we?”_ And with that, the battle had begun.

Attacking first, Battra’s wings began to glow a deep indigo, as for his opening attack, he elected to utilize his prism beams, which would deliver a more concentrated blast of the same energy that had knocked Mothra out of the fight the first time all those years ago. This time, however, Mothra was prepared for it.

With a single beat of her wings, Battra was thrown off-balance just as the beams lanced out of his eyes, sending them shooting far, far off into the depths of space.

As he righted himself, glaring at Mothra, he screeched as he suddenly found himself being yanked down and bit into by the Older Godzilla.

 _“Giant bug, still squashes like a bug.”_ The Older Godzilla rumbled, slamming a foot down on Battra’s abdomen.

Battra growled, the dark clouds around the battlefield swirling with rage. _“Enough!”_ He declared, as the clouds formed into a mass of thick, solid tendrils. One slammed into the Older Godzilla with enough force to knock him off, while the others slammed down and coiled around Mothra, pulling her up to Battra’s eye level.

 _“And so this is how Mothra ends.”_ Battra postured, full of pomp and circumstance. It was clear he’d been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. _“Not with a bang, but with a whimper. A goddess, the self-declared ‘mother of all…’ reduced to a helpless insect.”_

Mothra scowled, rage painted on her inhuman features. _“Hey…”_

 _“Oh?”_ Battra tilted his head. _“Is there something you wish to say?”_

 _“Shut up.”_ Mothra seethed.

Battra growled, raising his arm to strike, when suddenly, he could feel the air rippled behind him. He turned around, only for a massive bang, a bright flash like a bomb going off, to cut through all the shadowy tendrils.

The source of the light moved with grace and purpose, carrying something massive in its many arms.

Battra’s arms, covering his eyes, dropped in shock. _“Impossible…”_

A double of Mothra, covered in thick white fur, wings patterned with the full spectrum of the rainbow, dove towards the site of the battle, carrying Godzilla in her many arms.

 ** _“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!”_** Godzilla roared, as El let him go. He rolled into a ball, spinning, and Battra realized too late what the mutant was doing, as he slammed into Battra, releasing a nuclear pulse out of his spines.

The same move that Battra had helped Godzilla do against the Red Monster.

 _“WHOOO!”_ Godzilla shouted, as Battra was sent flying back by the force of the strike as well as the pulse, slamming into the ground, and knocking a few buildings along the way.

 _“Nice shot!”_ El complimented, shakily landing next to Godzilla. _“Sorry we took so long!”_

The Older Godzilla coughed, getting to his feet. _“You two get an F for efficiency. But I have to give you an A+ for dramatic timing.”_

 _“Blame him!”_ El squeaked, thrusting an arm towards her Godzilla. _“He kept weighing me down!”_

 _“Will you two stop!?”_ Mothra asked, getting to her feet.

 _“Oh, right, there’s still this dick to deal with.”_ Godzilla narrowed his eyes at Battra.

Battra got to his own feet, eyes wide as he looked at the four. He realized too late that his tendrils were gone and gulped.

 _“So…”_ Godzilla cracked his knuckles, as the Older Godzilla growled, El’s wings rippled with power, and Mothra’s eyes blazed with fury. _“What were you saying about victory?”_

Battra gulped, leaping to take flight.

 _“Oh, I don’t think so!”_ El scowled, jumping up after him. She screeched, slamming into him from above, knocking him back down.

 _“Unhand me!”_ Battra commanded, bucking El off, sending her flying across the battlefield. _“You’ll regret that!”_ He snarled, raising his abdomen to sting.

 _“EL!”_ Godzilla pushed her out of the way, as Battra charged forward towards the helpless El. His stinger plunged deep into Godzilla’s flesh, and the mutant let out a deep, pained roar.

The Older Godzilla growled, running over to pull Battra off. Battra screeched, as he was ripped off, leaving the stinger embedded in Godzilla’s flesh. As the Older Godzilla beat Battra into a pulp, Godzilla pulled the stinger out, looking at it, and growling.

His eyes locked on Battra, and they narrowed, as he stomped over. Drawing up, Godzilla plunged the stinger into Battra’s flesh like a knife, the demonic moth kaiju screeching in agony as his flesh was torn apart.

 _“STOP, STOP!”_ Battra begged, as Mothra punctured his wings to keep him from flying. _“I YEILD!”_

 _“Do you now?”_ Mothra walked around in front of him. _“You and I both know it’s not as easy as that.”_

Battra stared, before he took a breath. And then, he began to laugh. _“Yes… yes… You’re exactly right… This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me! As long as_ any _of you draw breath, I will come back. I will_ always _come back!”_ He proclaimed, as with a thunderclap, his body stiffened, and he disintegrated into a cloud of dust.

 _“…damn.”_ The Older Godzilla cursed. _“I wanted to kill him.”_

 _“Is that it?”_ El asked, turning to Mothra, tilting her head. _“Is he dead?”_

 _“…no.”_ Mothra admitted. _“Battra is like me. I doubt we’ll ever be able to really kill him, just outlast him… but I promise you, as long as_ I _still draw breath, I’ll be there to oppose him.”_

 _“Well, that’s certainly a comfort.”_ Godzilla rumbled, looking around. _“How do we fix those portals so he can’t try something like this again?”_

 _“Leave that to me.”_ Mothra answered. _“As for now… let us go home.”_

\---------

Returning to Monster Island (after turning El back, of course, none of them were willing to face Joyce’s fury at her daughter being turned into a giant monster), they showed the Older Godzilla around.

 _“So… this is your territory.”_ The Older Godzilla commented as he walked. He slowly nodded, looking around. _“Quite a lot of space here…”_

 _“For when we get new arrivals on our side.”_ Godzilla explained, looking to the older one. _“We figured it wasn’t fair on Mothra to just have her keep expanding the island every time someone new shows up. That over there is Mothra’s waterfall.”_ He pointed to the wall of water falling into the long river below. _“She hides away in there most of the time. It’s not that she doesn’t like us, but she’s a bit of a recluse most days.”_

 _“Hm.”_ The Older Godzilla chuckled. _“Mothra always did like her privacy. Word of advice, little one,_ all _females like their privacy.”_

Godzilla nodded in agreement, in learned experience. _“I hear that. There was this one time Maddie and I switched bodies, and she said that if I even_ glanced _at myself in the mirror naked, I was going to have a bad time afterward.”_

 _“Ha!”_ The Older Godzilla laughed. _“Good on her. I see she’s keeping you in line.”_ He looked around, frowning curiously. _“Where is she? I would’ve expected her to be out to see us when we returned.”_

 _“It’s one in the morning, if you think you can get her up and out here_ without _suffering grievous bodily harm, good fucking luck.”_ Godzilla replied. He turned his head, pointing to somewhere far in the woods. _“Over that way is our den.”_

The Older Godzilla’s eyes shot up. _“’Our?’”_

 _“Well, yeah…”_ Godzilla awkwardly shifted. _“Remember how when we first met you called her ‘Little Queen?’ Well… we sorta made it semi-official. We’re not married, god knows it’s too early for that, but we’re sorta, kinda… officially dating now.”_

The Older Godzilla smiled, chuckling. _“Good. She may make a respectable king out of you yet.”_

Godzilla huffed. _“Maybe. Would you believe me if I told you_ she _was the troublemaker out of the two of us?”_

 _“Oh yeah.”_ The Older one nodded. _“She’s got a fire in her soul, that one.”_

 _“Don’t I know it…”_ Godzilla muttered. _“Speaking of fire,”_ He gestured to the mountain, _“That’s where Rodan holes up most of the time. Lazy ass… Don’t tell anyone, but I think he’s El’s new best friend. Don’t ask me how that happened.”_

 _“Rodan…”_ The Older one rumbled, looking at the mountain. _“Say, Pup, you haven’t come across another Titan… by the name of Anguirus, have you?”_

 _“…I remember Maddie mentioning she had a pet Armadillo named that,”_ Godzilla recalled after a moment, _“And there was this character in a video game we played named that too. But… no. I don’t think so. Why?”_

 _“…don’t fret thinking about it.”_ The Older one responded after a while.

 _“Hm.”_ Godzilla suspiciously nodded, leading him into a large clearing. _“And this is the-“_

 _“Sparring zone.”_ The Older one finished with a grin on his face, looking around. _“So, you’re not just getting fat and lazy on this island.”_

 _“Never.”_ Godzilla huffed. _“Mainly because nobody can seem to do anything around here without me getting involved… so, what do you say?”_ He asked. _“Another round? For old time’s sake?”_

The Older one grinned. _“You’re on.”_

\-----------

The two sparred long into the night, even as morning came to chase the darkness away. Midway through their rounds, however, both Godzillas noticed something, the foliage ruffling with motion.

 _“Wait.”_ The Older Godzilla stopped the younger one, turning to narrow his eyes at the intruder. _“Someone’s trying to ambush us.”_

 _“Ha!”_ Godzilla laughed. _“No, he just thinks he’s being sneaky, trying to spy on his old man. Dart! Get out here! It’s rude to spy!”_

The young kaiju huffed, emerging from the bushes, and the older Godzilla recoiled minutely in surprise.

 _“Is that…?”_ The Older Godzilla looked to the younger.

 _“Meet Dart,”_ Godzilla introduced, patting the younger kaiju on the head. _“He’s my…”_

 _“Pup.”_ The older one finished.

 _“I was gonna say son, but yeah, that works.”_ Godzilla looked to Dart sternly. _“What’re you doing up this late?”_

Dart snorted. _“I didn’t_ stay _up. It’s like… six in the morning. You guys woke me up.”_

 _“…did we?”_ Godzilla muttered. _“Huh. Funny how you lose track of time.”_

Dart rumbled, slowly walking away from his adoptive father, to the older Godzilla. A monstrous grin suddenly split his face. _“So,_ you’re _Dadzilla. Awesome.”_

 _“Oh, God, not you too…”_ Godzilla frustratedly sighed.

The Older Godzilla raised a curious eyebrow at the younger one. _“I notice there’s a lot of exasperation whenever that nickname is brought up. Why?”_

 _“Don’t worry about it, it’s just…”_ Godzilla muttered. _“Embarrassing.”_

 _“Embarrassing?”_ The Older one repeated.

_“Sorry, I misspoke, I meant… presumptuous.”_

_“Godzilla,”_ The Older placed a hand on the younger one’s shoulder, _“I would be proud.”_

_“…huh?”_

_“If I was your dad.”_

Godzilla recoiled back slightly, as though struck. He’d never really thought about it before, but all of El and Maddie’s teasing on the subject were correct.

The older Godzilla was more of a dad to him than Lonnie had ever been.

 _“You… you would?”_ Godzilla asked, suddenly very self-conscious about all that he had done.

The Older Godzilla nodded. _“You’ve come a long way since the last time I saw you. In months you’ve gained experience that took me_ years _to learn on my own. And since the planet’s not burning, that means you’re doing a pretty good job, if nothing else.”_

Godzilla chuckled at that. _“Yeah… I guess it does. …thanks.”_

“Oh for god’s sake!” Maddie bellowed from the sidelines, revealing herself to have been hiding at the top of a nearby tree. “Will the two of you just hug already!?”

Both Godzillas looked to her.

 _“How long have you been there?”_ Godzilla asked.

“Long enough to get annoyed!” Maddie replied. “God, is bottling up emotions something common to _all_ Godzillas, or just you two?”

 _“Maddie…”_ Godzilla rumbled.

 _“Shut up and hug me, son.”_ The Older one ordered.

Godzilla laughed, but abided, hugging his adoptive, monster father.

…it had been so long since he had a male authority figure to look up to other than his brother. Far be it from him to complain that he’d found one again.

\-----------

 _“Well,”_ The Older Godzilla rumbled. _“I feel that it’s time for me to return home.”_

 _“Do you_ have _to?”_ Dart asked, _“You just got here! You could stay, help us fight!”_

The Older Godzilla chuckled. _“I’m afraid there are threats in my home that have to be taken care of.”_ He rumbled, looking to the others. _“But don’t fret. Should you need my help again, I’ll gladly do so…_ provided _I have warning.”_

El cringed. “Yeah… sorry!”

The Older Godzilla laughed. _“I tease, I tease.”_ He looked all of them over. _“I look forward to seeing you all again.”_

 _“Hopefully,”_ Godzilla replied, _“It’ll be under better circumstances.”_

 _“I’m only a mental call away.”_ He replied.

Godzilla slowly nodded. _“Goodbye… Godzilla.”_

 _“Until next time,”_ The Older one grasped his hand, _“Godzilla.”_

“Goodbye!” The rest of them all wished at once, as El focused her mind, and the Older Godzilla was sent back to his point of origin. The air stilled, and the titanic presence was gone.

 _“…right, well.”_ Godzilla gulped. _“Back to business as usual, I guess.”_

“Hold on!” Maddie cut him off. “What’s this I heard about you getting a human form again?”

 _“…oh, that.”_ Godzilla sighed.

“What do you mean ‘oh, that?’” Maddie retorted. “I wanna see it!”

 _“…argh, fine.”_ Godzilla grumbled, _“Let’s go see Mothra.”_

\----------

Something became quickly apparent upon their visit to Mothra, however.

 _“I… I can’t…”_ Mothra muttered, audibly and visibly straining to focus her abilities. The light radiating from her wings died, and she slumped, like a person finished running a marathon.

Godzilla, however, was still in monster mode.

 _“Mothra?”_ Godzilla worriedly asked. _“Are you alright?”_

 _“Fine, I’m fine…”_ Mothra got to her feet. _“But…”_

 _“_ But what?” Maddie inquired in concern.

 _“I… can’t seem to use my shape-altering abilities on you.”_ Mothra worriedly muttered.

 _“We_ did _just get done kicking ass.”_ Godzilla replied. _“Are you drained?”_

 _“No, it’s not me, it’s…”_ Mothra frowned, slashing Godzilla.

 _“OW, DOUCHE!”_ Godzilla yelped, clutching his face. _“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?”_

 _“I needed a blood sample, now, quiet.”_ Mothra instructed, looking the sample over. Her eyes widened in burgeoning horror, as she laid her eyes upon it. _“Your cells, they’re… tainted.”_

“Tainted!?” Maddie repeated fearfully. “Is he gonna be alright!?”

 _“Fine, they’re not interfering with any of his normal processes, but they’re interfering with_ mine.” Mothra explained. _“It’s like… something is jamming me… but why…”_ She inhaled, and her eyes narrowed. **_“Battra…”_** She growled.

 _“Battra did this…?”_ Godzilla repeated, looking down at himself. _“But why? What would he gain from locking me in my more powerful bod-“_ He cut himself off, noting the deep gash in his chest. _“…the stinger. The stinger that was meant for El.”_

“El?” Maddie repeated. “What does she-?”

 _“Mothra… how likely would you say it would be for Battra to try and get the last laugh by making sure El couldn’t ever be human again after we finished him off?”_ Godzilla asked.

 _“…all too likely.”_ Mothra whispered.

 _“I took the bullet for her…”_ Godzilla murmured. _“I…”_ He flopped to the ground, slowing his descent on the rock wall, making sure he didn’t land on Maddie. _“I had a chance…”_ He mumbled, staring ahead. _“I could’ve talked to them again… all of them…”_

“Godzilla?” Maddie worriedly asked, slowly walking up.

 _“I never told them… I-I wanted it to be a surprise…”_ Godzilla wheezed. _“I was gonna… we were…”_ His face twisted with anguish, and he directed all of his pain up, out through his mouth in a column of blazing blue fire.

“G!” Maddie ran over to climb atop him. “Don’t worry…” She told him, pressing into him in that same imitation of a hug she always did. “I’m here big guy… I’m here…”

The column of light stopped, and Godzilla’s head fell, his eyes closing shut, as one, giant, salty tear fell from his eye. _“I was gonna take you out… we were gonna be able to do so many things together…”_

Mothra, though she was still there, wisely said nothing, taking steps backwards into the waterfall.

Yet despite the effort to give the two privacy, the entire island were spectators to Godzilla’s grief that night.

In a roundabout way… it was all her fault. Mothra helped bring Battra into this world, which led to the current state of Godzilla’s existence to begin with, as well as the chance that had just been ripped out of his enormous hands.

Mothra giveth… and Mothra taketh away. But not by intent.

Though that still didn’t make her feel any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	44. Viva Las Vegas, Part One

El huffed, spinning around in a chair, as boredom gripped her very soul. Maddie and Godzilla had gone and sealed themselves in their den, leaving her without someone to annoy for entertainment.

…well, mostly. She still had a couple of people she could cause havoc with.

Still, what sort of trouble to cause, that was the question. She didn’t wanna go around messing with people, that could be just downright mean, and she didn’t wanna be mean.

El sighed with uncontainable boredom, as she saw the picture playing on the television. She couldn’t tell what the movie was supposed to be about, she only recognized Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

El shot up, her eyes going wide as she recognized the movie now. _Ocean’s Eleven_ , a ‘heist’ movie, as Hopper told her. Upon first seeing it, she’d been confused. What excitement was there in watching people plan to steal money?

The teenager drew a breath. And she smiled to herself as she got an idea. A terrible, awful, no good idea.

This is what happened when you left El to her own devices, I want you all to know.

\----------

 _“…You’re insane.”_ Rodan blinked, looking at the girl sardonically.

“Aw, come on, Rodan!” El begged, clasping her hands. “It’ll be fun!”

 _“Fun!? What’s fun about theft!?”_ Rodan replied. _“Have you even_ thought _about what we’re gonna do with the money!?”_

El huffed, rolling her eyes. “Yes…”

 _“Okay, let me rephrase that.”_ Rodan replied. _“Have you considered that most of those bills are probably going to be marked and traceable?”_

“Come on!” El whined. “We steal things all the time!”

 _“We don’t steal, we trick!”_ Rodan coughed. _“There’s a difference! One’s illegal, the other just pisses people off! What even made you_ decide _to rob a casino in the first place!?”_

“Ocean’s Eleven.” The girl answered, shrugging.

_“…El, I swear to the spirits above, if you decided to do this because of a pun-“_

“No!” El cut him off. “But I’m _bored,_ and those places have more money than they know what to do with! Think about it! If we go in there and take it, the only people who are gonna miss it is the people who own the casino, and they’re already filthy rich! Besides, it’s not about the money, it’s… about blowing off steam.”

 _“And you decide the best way to blow of steam is to plan an execute a high-maintenance scheme that can end with prison time if it goes awry?”_ Rodan incredulously asked.

El scoffed. “Prison doesn’t scare me. It’s not like they could catch us _anyway,_ you’re a… titan!”

Rodan stared at her, before slowly nodding. _“…Right, right… and it_ would _be more fun than the card games we normally play… Alright, I’m in.”_

“Oh!” El smiled brightly, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

 _“I do have one request, though.”_ Rodan cut her off. _“Can I be Dean Martin?”_

\---------

 _“Oh, I am_ in!” Dart excitedly jumped up and down. _“I am so IN!”_

El blinked, recoiling back just slightly, as she looked to Rodan. “Really…?”

 _“Aw, hell yeah!”_ Dart enthusiastically nodded. _“Let’s rob a casino boys!”_

Rodan frowned. _“No… misgivings about the idea? The fact that we don’t actually have a_ plan _doesn’t bother you? Or how about the issue of your parents killing you for this if we get caught?”_

Dart huffed. _“Good luck if you think you can even get them to_ notice _anything.”_ He replied. He glanced around, lowering his voice, before he brought his head down towards El. _“They locked themselves in the Depression Cave.”_

“Oh…” El winced. “Really?”

Dart nodded. _“They’ve been in there the past few days. They’re not even doing anything_ fun _like playing video games or trying to get drunk. He just wants to sleep and all_ she _wants to do is sleep on top of him.”_

Rodan tilted his head, brow knitting together. _“Why?_ I’m _usually the lazy fuck around here. He’s coming for my brand.”_

Dart shrugged his disproportionately small shoulders. _“I don’t know. If I_ had _to guess, he’s moody cause Battra sabotaged his chances of being human again.”_

 _“Yeah…”_ Rodan muttered. _“That_ is _the most likely culprit.”_

 _“…I don’t know why he’s even so miffed about it.”_ Dart murmured. _“It’s not like he was jumping at the chance to be human again before.”_

“He never asked Mothra, but that was because he was afraid of the answer.” El explained quietly. “When she made him human again without him asking, that was the proof it could be done. But now…”

 _“He’s not really miffed about losing the chance to go back to being human,”_ Rodan picked up from El, _“He’s sad because he started imagining all these things he could do with Maddie that he’ll never get the chance to now.”_

 _“…oh.”_ Dart blinked, looking down.

“Mothra says she’s working on a cure,” El began, looking downcast, “But she said it might take a while… and it wasn’t ‘guaranteed’ to work.”

 _“Hey, you said a big word!”_ Rodan looked to El with a grin. _“Up top!”_

El grinned as Rodan held out a massive hand, and she high fived him. Well, high threed in his case.

 _“Well, that sucks…”_ Dart muttered. _“But whatever. I’m in! What’s the plan!?”_

“Not yet.” El told him. “There’s one more person we need.”

\-----------

 _“Absolutely not.”_ Mothra glowered.

“Aw, come on!” El stamped her foot. “It’ll be fun!”

 _“’Fun’ usually involves a dip in the hot springs, not committing grand larceny.”_ Mothra retorted. _“What’s gotten into you? You would_ never _suggest such a thing!”_

El crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. “Maybe not _before,_ but I’m bored, there’s nothing around here to do, and we never got to finish up our last trip to Vegas.”

 _“Yeah, see, it’s a good idea!”_ Dart readily agreed with his ‘aunt.’

 _“No, Dart,”_ Mothra replied with dripping sarcasm in her voice, _“It’s not a good idea. It’s the_ farthest _thing from a good idea. It’s the worst damn idea since the bomb.”_

“No, but think of it!” El replied, “It’s exhilarating _without_ the risk of other people getting hurt! We get an excuse to draw up a human form for Dart, _and_ when we get the money out of the casinos, we can give it to the people who really need it.”

Mothra tilted her head curiously. _“Really?”_

El nodded. “The money’s not what I’m after.”

 _“Me neither,”_ Rodan agreed, _“I’m just coming along so little missy doesn’t start biting off more than she can chew.”_ He jerked over to El.

 _“And I’ve still not been to the mainland!”_ Dart told her. _“Come on, Aunt Mothra, pleeeease!?”_

Mothra blinked, looking all of them over, before she sighed. _“Let me guess… even if I turn Rodan and Dart into humans with the understanding you_ won’t _go and commit grand theft, the three of you will just find a way to sneak off and try it anyway?”_

 _“Oh, most definitely.”_ Rodan replied.

Mothra let out a long-suffering sigh. _“…Very well.”_ She spoke through gritted teeth. _“But let me be clear: I’m doing this to get that money to the ‘people who could use it,’ as you said. I’m_ not _doing this to cause trouble.”_

 _“…and you’re doing it to keep us outta big trouble, right?”_ Dart asked.

 _“No.”_ Mothra replied sardonically. _“If the authorities show up, the three of you are on your own. Especially you, Rodan.”_

Rodan scowled. _“Gee, thanks.”_

\--------

One trip to the mainland later, the four converged around a rental car building, each one of the giant monsters now in human forms.

Mothra and Rodan had forgone their standard appearances, just in case. Instead of the pale-skinned, silver-haired woman she was normally, Mothra took the appearance of a tall brunette, the near polar-opposite of what she usually tailored her human form to be. Rodan was much more average in appearance, handsome but not so much as to draw unwarranted attention. And Dart, despite being only two weeks, lucked out with a taller body and a pleasant voice.

Things were moving along swiftly… mostly.

“I’m telling you, we should take _this_ one.” Rodan gestured to a car that caught his eye.

“A,” Mothra began, “That’s a sports car. B, that car isn’t even for rental.”

Rodan frustratedly huffed, rolling his eyes. “You know, you always do this.”

Mothra raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You and I always talk and make plans, and then, suddenly at the last moment, you do a complete 180!” Rodan accused, really not that mad about it at all, but there was an employee standing nearby. Free entertainment by making a scene and then watching the poor worker squirm. “Is nothing I ever do good enough for you!?”

Mothra let out an affronted gasp. “How dare- how dare you!?” She angrily shot back, playing along. _“I’m_ the one who has to deal with the kids all day, and do _I_ expect anything? No! It’s all ‘hello honey, how was your day?’ Well, _I_ have needs too, you know!”

Off to the side, Dart and El were standing. El was looking upon the sight with exasperation, shaking her head, while Dart played with his newly discovered adam’s apple.

“Hello…” Dart repeated, feeling the vibrations in his throat. “Hello… Report to the ship as soon as possible. We’ll bang, okay?”

El’s head snapped over to him, and she scowled, smacking him in the shoulder.

“Ow!” Dart rubbed the site. “What’d you do that for?”

“We’re in _public.”_ She hissed.

“Whatever…” Dart mumbled. “It’s not like I was talking _to_ anyone.”

“It doesn’t _matter,_ you just can’t say things like that.” El quietly hissed, before blinking. “…huh. Was I like that when I was first starting to learn how to society?”

Dart snorted. “’How to society?’”

El glared at him. “Quiet. You may be taller, but I’m still your aunt. And I am one of the people here with permission to kick your butt if you get out of line.”

Dart blinked. “Who gave you that?”

“Maddie.” El answered. The cry of ‘I don’t even know who you are anymore!’ came from Rodan, and El frustratedly sighed.

She was the one who came up with the plan to rob a place out of boredom, and yet she felt like the most mature one there.

\---------

“And that,” Rodan self-satisfactorily kicked his feet up on the dash, “Is the art of the deal.”

“You guys just argued until the employee gave us a discount to get us outta there.” Dart blinked, looking between the two from the back seat.

Rodan grinned. “Exactly.”

Mothra, behind the wheel, obviously, looked at him. “Seatbelt on, feet off the dash.”

Rodan merely stuck his tongue back out at her.

Mothra looked ahead, shrugging.

The wheels screeched as they suddenly locked up, Mothra’s foot slamming on the brakes, and Rodan was sent forward into the floor at an awkward angle.

“Oh, would you look at that.” Mothra sardonically commented as she set them back into motion. “I didn’t know you were that flexible.”

“Right, welp,” Rodan pulled himself back up, “It helps that my spine was just broken by that move you pulled.” He glowered, putting on his seatbelt.

“Guys.” Dart spoke up. “I’m hungry.”

Mothra looked to him in the rearview mirror. “You _just_ ate!”

“I’m hungry again.” Dart stated.

“Well…” Mothra struggled. “We can stop later.”

“Okay.” Dart nodded. “…Aunt Mothra.”

Mothra sighed. “Yes?”

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, for God’s sake…” Rodan facepalmed. “We told you to go before we left!”

“I didn’t have to go before we left.” Dart replied.

“You’d better hang out the window or something!” Rodan told him. “It took us ages to get on the road, we’re not stopping now!”

Dart blinked, before moving to undo his seatbelt.

“Not _actually_!” El hissed, knocking his hand away.

“Ow!” Dart winced. “Aunt Mothra! Aunt El hit me!”

“Did not!” El argued. “It was a light smack!”

“It hurt!”

“No it didn’t!”

Mothra let out a frustrated sigh, resisting the urge to slam her head on the wheel. 120 miles to Vegas…

God help her…

Wait, she _was_ God.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	45. Viva Las Vegas, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As our would-be thieves find a place to rob, they notice something very, very wrong with the place they have in mind.

“…It’s at that moment that Gamera wakes up, and he is pissed, I’m telling you, he is _pissed_ ,” Rodan relayed, gesturing madly with his hands, “He’s covered in tar and flames and screaming at us in fifty different languages!”

“How could you not realize he was there?” El questioned, as next to her, Dart tore into his _fourth_ cheeseburger, still managing to stay entranced by Rodan’s tale.

“He’s brown and has a giant hill-like shell, perfect camouflage!” Rodan retorted. “So by that point all of us are freaking out and he’s chasing us while still on fire , and we are _running,_ oh my god, we are _running!_ Anguirus trips and falls so I turn around to help him up, and when start my decent, that’s when I notice it!”

Dart smacked his lips, going for burger number five. “Noticed what?”

“Oh, God…” Mothra muttered, shaking her head as she kept her eyes on the road, evidently having heard the endpoint of the story.

“There’s a _giant_ forest fire,” Rodan answered, “But that’s not all! I look down, and it takes me a second to realize it, but the fire’s in the shape of a giant _cock!”_ Rodan descended into laughter.

“Ha!” El laughed, clapping her hands once. “No!”

“True story, true story!” Rodan insisted. “We’d been trying to shake Gamera while we were still _in_ the forest, so the path looped back on itself! But that’s not even the best part! While we’re up there looking at our unwitting handiwork like morons, Itzamna turns to me and says: ‘Hey, ‘Dan, it’s you! Damn good likeness at that!’”

“Ha ha ha!” El cackled, clapping again.

Mothra sighed, glancing to the others. “You know, for the fact that we’re driving out to Vegas for the _express purpose_ of robbing a casino, I notice a very distinct _lack_ of planning.”

Rodan scoffed. “Plan? Where we’re going, we don’t need plans.” He cocked his head to the back seat, gesturing to El. “Telekinetic powers, kinda the ultimate trump card there.”

El frowned. “That’s cheating, though.”

 _“Cheating!?_ ” Rodan repeated with incredulity. “It’s a _robbery!”_

“It’s all moot _anyway_ if we can’t decide on the place we want to turn over!” Mothra argued with vehemence. She knew it was a bad idea to do this.

Dart frowned, looking out the window. “What about that one?”

Mothra slammed on the brakes, turning around. “What?”

“That one.” Dart pointed, and Mothra angled herself to see. He was pointing to a billboard on the side of the desolate highway, advertising a place seemingly _built_ from LED bulbs. Seriously, every inch of the place look covered in light, ready to flash in wild patterns in every color of the spectrum.

“Jesus, that’s gotta be the ugliest fucking building I’ve ever seen.” Rodan commented with shock at the sheer _stupidity_ of the design. What’s more, there was a giant statue of the King of the Monsters himself covered in those same lights.

“Gojira’s Palace…’” Mothra blankly read. “What… the… _fuck_?”

“Something tells me they didn’t ask Godzilla for permission before branding.” El quietly muttered, her eyebrows stitching together as she looked upon the sign. In that moment, she came to a decision, and moved back. “Yep. That’s the one.”

Rodan nodded in agreement, before his eyes suddenly snapped open, and he double-took, looking to El. “Didn’t your dad used to be a police officer?”

“Theft is fun.” El defended, as Mothra put the car back into motion. “Bad… but fun.”

\----------

“I was right…” Rodan’s jaw dropped at the gaudy, multicolored monument to some jackass’s vanity, slap bang on the Vegas strip. “That’s the ugliest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s certainly…” Mothra blinked, as the lights made giant rainbow patterns, flashing and flickering so fast it was like a broken television. She bet that if all the other casinos were shut down, you could still see _this_ place from orbit alone. “Gaudy.”

“Makes me wonder if the guy who drew it up was compensating for something…” Dart mumbled in agreement.

“I wasn’t talking about the building, I was talking about the statue of Godzilla.” Rodan retorted. “I have to deal with that ugly face on a daily basis, now the people of Vegas have to deal with it too… Now we have to rob the place _on principle.”_

“Rodan!” Mothra hissed, smacking him on the shoulder and lowering her voice. “Don’t discuss robbery when _we’re standing outside the place we’re planning to rob.”_

“Ow…” Rodan rubbed the back of his head. “Yes, _mom_.”

“Right, well,” Dart clapped his hands excitedly, “Let’s go!” He took a step.

“Ah, ah, ah!” El stopped him, grabbing him by the back of his jacket. “Not _yet_.”

Dart blinked, looking at her curiously. “Why not?”

“Because, we’re not _dressed_ for it.” El answered, looking to Mothra. “Can you see inside? See what the people are wearing?”

Mothra scoffed. “Of course I can see inside. I exist across all time and space, _you’re_ the ones limited by three-dimensional evolution.”

“Yeah, that’s great,” Rodan sarcastically retorted, “But how about you just _tell_ us what those fools pissing away their cash are wearing?”

Mothra shot him an angry glance, before her eyes narrowed, closing her eyes for just a few seconds. “…Yes, there is a significant hurdle that we have to get past.”

“Which is?” El inquired.

Mothra opened her eyes. [”Black tie required.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KFb9zp_T4)

\-------

Nearby, they found a tailor willing to work on short notice, and more than willing to accept the funds from the Monarch credit card El had swiped before this initiative.

Thus, when the front doors of the casino opened, the group of four strode in dressed to kill. Figuratively, of course.

Mothra was wearing a long, white dress, simple in taste, with glittering jewelry.

El had put her hair into a bun, and she was wearing a long red dress with gloves that went past her shoulders.

Rodan was wearing a black-and-white checkered suit and tie.

And Dart was dressed in a blue suit with a long jacket and waistcoat.

“You guys say what you want,” Rodan tugged on his jacket. “But I make this look _good.”_

Mothra turned, looking him up and down. “You look like a walking chessboard.” She fired off, turning to look at the casino floor. The inside of the place was just as garish as the exterior.

Everything from the roulette tables, to the slot machines, to the blackjack tables, to… well _everything_ was covered in LED strips, pulsing in time with the music echoing through the place. It wasn’t _just_ a casino; it was a club. There was even a dance floor.

Some… techno song was blasting at such a volume, they couldn’t hear themselves talk, and if the way the other casino patrons were shouting over each other was any indication, nobody could hear themselves either.

“Uh… Aunt Mothra?” Dart addressed, looking over the casino floor which had a noticeable _lack_ of other people wearing clothes as fancy as theirs. Not to say there wasn’t _any,_ just not in the numbers that Mothra had suggested.

“Wait,” Mothra held up a hand, frowning. “Do you guys hear that?”

El tilted her head, looking at Mothra expectantly. “Hear what?”

“The music!” Mothra replied.

“Yes, it’s annoying,” Rodan rolled his eyes, “I hate this techno crap-“

“No!” Mothra yanked him down. “That song… It won’t be released until _2010_.”

Rodan scoffed. “That’s impossible.”

“Is it?” Mothra retorted.

“It’s _impossible.”_

“You know what, why don’t you-!?” Mothra began to shout, before El stepped in.

El looked to Mothra with a fixing gaze. “Is it possible there’s just a… hiccup in time, or something?”

Mothra cocked her head sardonically. “I _told_ you, I exist across all space and time. If this was a natural occurrence, I would’ve felt it.” She took a breath, looking out onto the floor. “I don’t like this place… between the flashing lights, Godzilla’s face, and the music that should not exist… it feels like a mystery engineered to attract us.”

Dart sighed, rubbing his face. “So, I guess that means the plan has changed?”

“…no.” El decided after a moment of thought, and she turned to face them properly. “We do what we came here to do, and when we get done, _then_ we call in Monarch so we can _actually_ take a look.”

“Sure, let’s spring the trap _designed_ to attract us…” Rodan crossed his arms and grumbled.

“Don’t worry,” El told him serenely, “I have a plan.” She tapped her head. “Mothra,” She turned to the moth kaiju, “Go to the security room. If there’s guards there, take them out… you know, _not lethally.”_

“I never do.” Mothra replied, lifting her skirt to walk. “I assume telepathic contact is how you wish to stay in communication.”

“Right.” El nodded, before she turned to the others. “As for us… we mingle.”

Dart frowned, looking out. “Mingle…”

“Come on, kid.” Rodan patted Dart on the shoulders. “Time to show you how me and El make places like these work for _us.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	46. Viva Las Vegas, Part Three

In the security room of Gojira’s Palace, two men assigned to watch the cameras did so absent-mindedly. They were being paid good money to just sit around playing LCD games, and they were reviling in it.

So caught up in their games, however, the two men did not notice the door to their room opening until it was far too late.

One of the men looked up, seeing the intruder, and he shot to his feet, about to start shouting.

A blast of silk pinned him to the wall, covering his mouth, as the same occurred in short succession to his colleague.

“Right.” Mothra cleared her throat, closing and locking the door, as she went over to the wall of screens. “So sorry, I’ll be but a few moments.”

Mothra sat down at the console and blinked. Touchscreen controls. Rather… extravagant for the security room. The people in charge here obviously spared no expense, but this was like throwing cash away.

Regardless, Mothra began to tap the controls, looking for the building layout.

\---------

The techno dance track playing over the speakers echoed loudly, vibrating the bones of everyone inside as they burned their money. In time with the ‘clapping’ beats of the track, every light in the place pulsed brightly, from the ceiling lights, to the light panels that made up the floor, to the small LEDs on the slots and game tables.

This entire place was like an epileptic’s worst enemy.

In the crowd of patrons, some at the bar, others on a dance floor, others trying to play the games, there were three people trying not to look out of place, and mostly succeeding at it.

“So,” El spoke to Rodan, looking over her fizzy drink. The soda was green, and the cup had a light at the bottom, making the drink look like it was glowing on its own.

“’So,’ what?” Rodan replied, downing bourbon like it was water.

“Do you think Mothra’s right?” El asked. “About this place being a trap to catch us?”

“Kid,” Rodan gestured with his glass, “Mothra’s a paranoid old bird, has been for as long as I’ve known her. Sure, this place is designed to attract people, but that’s because it’s a _casino_ , they want the money of all the idiots who come out to this dump trying to make it big.”

El crossed her arms, thinning her lips. “Will you stop smacking!?” She suddenly directed to Dart.

The young kaiju suddenly stopped, hand already going for another mozzarella stick, despite there being one already stuffed into his mouth. He gulped, grinning awkwardly. “Sorry, auntie.” And he went _right back_ to smacking.

El sighed. “I don’t know… she mentioned the music.”

Rodan huffed, rolling his eyes. “El, Mothra exists outside of space and time. That doesn’t just mean she knows everything; it also means she gets more confused than someone in an old folks’ home. Remember, you’re living in the age of synthesized music, she probably just got confused again, it’s no big deal. It’s not like there’s instruments in the mix or anything that hasn’t been invented yet.”

“Yeah, yeah…” El concedingly nodded. “But, you’ve gotta admit.” The girl turned to look towards the front. “That statue outside seems like something to rope us in.”

Rodan put his drink down, and he looked to her with raised eyebrows. “Is _that_ why you chose this place?” He asked, very careful not to say the word ‘rob’ in any context. “Because of the statue?”

El crossed her arms, “They’re using my brother’s likeness without his permission. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

“Well, far be it from me to argue, you upstanding citizen of the law, you.” Rodan raised his glass, going back to drinking.

“Hey, that’s a good point.” Dart spoke up through the mouthful of fried cheese and tomato sauce. “Isn’t Dad’s image technically the property of Monarch?”

Rodan and El looked at him silently, awestruck that he had a thought about something _other_ than food for once.

Dart swallowed, looking between them curiously. “What?”

Rodan struggled to find the words for the moment, before pointing. “How do you know that?”

“I heard mom and dad talking about it.” Dart answered. “They said that since Godzilla’s not _technically_ a US citizen cause, you know, nobody knows about the whole Will Byers thing, they had to get Monarch to copyright his image so nobody could use him to sell cigarettes or tampons or something.”

“Ah…” Rodan breathed, looking up. “The only thing scarier than Godzilla? His lawyers.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” El replied to both Dart and Rodan with the same phrase. She remembered the lengthy legal battle and Godzilla’s bitching and moaning after he found out Hanna-Barbera commissioned a cartoon about him without permission.

He wasn’t even that mad about the not asking for permission and the issues surrounding the royalties. He was most insulted by the little dragon knockoff _thing_ named Godzooky. That was a plague upon the earth, in his mind.

Still, the theme song was alright. Even if Godzooky ruined _that_ halfway through too.

“But that’s the thing,” Dart continued, “A place like this would have the theme picked out _months_ in advance, right?”

El slowly nodded. “Right…”

“And _none_ of the people who built this place went to Monarch Legal for permission even _after_ the story of the cartoon fracas made national news?” Dart questioned.

Rodan frowned. “Odd, but not unlikely.”

“There’s one way I can see that happening, one:” Dart held up a finger, “The guys did go to Monarch and _none_ of us were told about the _giant friggin’ casino with my dad’s face opening,_ which is weird, cause you know he’d be constantly bragging about it.”

“Or,” Rodan held up a finger of his own, “These guys figured they’d just make so much money they wouldn’t have to worry about the law. Both are likely, the answer? Don’t stress yourself thinking about it.” He frowned checking a nonexistent watch on his wrist. “Jeez, what’s taking the moth so long?”

\--------

Mothra felt a frustrated sigh run through her at the computer terminal ahead of her. Reading the plans of the building was not as easy as pulling them up and expecting to see a file labeled ‘path to vault.’

There were _hundreds_ of separate files for each floor of the building and combing through them all would just take too long, even with a comprehension of how to read blueprints.

Mothra was about to shut the terminal off there, call it, and drag the rest of them out of there, when suddenly she got an idea.

She looked at the large, desk-like touchscreen computer, and reached out her hand, feeling the electricity pulsing through it. A mechanical heartbeat.

In a way, computers _were_ organisms. Their circuits their blood vessels, their processors their brains, their power sources their hearts… and Mothra was _very_ good with organisms of all kinds. Even the most advanced computers of the present day paled in comparison to some of the lifeforms she used to deal with.

Thus, it was with that that Mothra placed her hand onto the screen and sent a small jolt into the device. In the span of a few seconds, its entire structure was rewritten from the inside out, becoming something more suited to her purposes. She sent another little jolt, and the computer’s circuits began to work in ways that had never been intended by the human designers.

A little program was springing into existence thanks to Mothra’s intervention. Once it was done, all she needed to do was give it the building plans, set it to work…

And watch as a little diorama of the throne-shaped building, colored blue, flickered into existence over the obsidian-black surface of the computer terminal.

Mothra smiled, looking upon the sight with pride. “Excellent.” And then, she turned her mind away from the computer, opening a mental channel. _‘El… we’re ready to go.’_

\--------

El felt the little telepathic tug, and sat her glass down, finishing off the last bit of the drink, before turning to the others, poking them and gesturing for them to follow.

El took the lead as the other two followed…

But not before Dart rushed back to grab his basket of mozzarella sticks, before rejoining.

 _‘Alright, we’re on the move.’_ El directed to Mothra, as she pulled the two following her into the hallways. _‘Where’re we going?’_

 _‘The vault has an entrance located in an employee sublevel.’_ Mothra directed, sending an elevator to them. _‘Most of the security is up walking the main floor.’_ She explained, as the elevator shuddered, moving down. _‘I’m routing everyone else out of your way.’_

El crossed her arms, huffing. _‘Not too terribly hard, is it?’_

 _‘Most casinos have security rated for dealing with people with guns, not living goddesses and her descendants.’_ Mothra retorted. _‘If we are lucky, we’ll be in and out without anybody realizing the vault was ever open.”_

 _‘Well then…’_ El cleared her throat, feeling a giddy smile on her face. “Let’s heist…”

Dart and Rodan looked at her with raised brows.

“…it’s a work in progress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	47. Viva Las Vegas, Part Four

The elevator doors on the sublevel opened, and Rodan poked his head out first, looking out into the concrete corridor that wasn’t decorated nearly as gaudily as the rest of the place. No, this was built for function rather than form.

The Fire Kaiju gestured to the other two and began to move quickly down the corridor. The guards were being occupied elsewhere, thanks to Mothra, but they couldn’t say for how long that would last, and the _moment_ a guard spotted them down there, it was going to be bad news.

The corridor to the vault was long, so much so that the three had to run to get to it, but when they did, they were met with the sight of a large, silver, circular door set into the metal wall.

“Jeez…” Dart muttered, looking at the door. “That thing looks like it can tank a _missile blast._ ”

“Casino vaults are some of the most secure places on the planet.” Rodan explained, as he put on a pair of gloves. Sure, he didn’t leave fingerprints, but he didn’t want to smudge up the polished metal. “Most _banks_ have less secure vaults than this.”

Dart blinked, before he frowned. “Hey, that’s a good point. Why _didn’t_ we choose to rob a bank?” He questioned, as Rodan felt up the vault door.

“Banks don’t keep their money in cash.” El answered, and Rodan snapped to look at her, wondering where she learned that tidbit of information, before going back to the door. “Besides, _this_ money is the casino’s. Money in banks are regular peoples’ money. We don’t steal from them.”

“Three modern-day Robin Hoods, that’s us…” Rodan muttered. “Help me with this thing.” He ordered of El. “Hopefully Mothra found a way to fuck with the alarm so the pigs don’t get us.”

El’s eyebrows shot into her hairline as she focused her powers on the mechanisms in the vault door. The enormous pins holding it in place were pushed back, and the system beeped, before the door swung open, and she looked to Rodan, hands on her hips expectantly. “Pigs?”

“I’m trying out new ways of speaking to go with the new face.” Rodan gestured. “Whaddya think?”

El stared back, blinking. “Try something else.” She advised, walking in.

“Ohohoh…” Dart dropped his basket of food, poking in after her, as he beheld the sight of all the cash stacked up in the place.

“Kid…” Rodan patted Dart on the back. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Dart absently nodded, slowly. “We could buy… _so_ many comically-oversized chocolate bars with this.”

Rodan double-took, but chose to say nothing, sighing and shaking his head.

“Come on, guys, bags, chop chop!” El ordered, already freeing up some of the money. Either they tripped the silent alarm, or they didn’t. Either way, they had to be fast.

If there was one thing that all the heist movies she watched with Hopper taught her, it was genre-savviness.

Rodan nodded, pulling a folded-up duffel bag out of one of his suit’s big inner pockets, doing the same for the pocket on the other side. Dart mirrored his action, and opened all the bags, going to haphazardly shove the money in.

“You know, after this we should start hitting jewelry stores!” Rodan remarked as he helped, simultaneously keeping an eye out. “There’s good money to be had in those.”

“I thought you wanted this to be a one-time thing!?” El recalled, zipping up one bag and throwing it around her shoulders.

“Used to, but I caught the fever, baby!” Rodan cackled maniacally. “I don’t think kleptomania’s contagious, but the sky’s the limit when you’re me!”

The trio moved quickly, stuffing the bags, zipping them up, throwing them around their shoulders.

“All right.” El adjusted herself. “Let’s find a way out of here before-“ She had been going to move to the exit, and stopped, as there was a team of security guards stood there, pointing guns at them. “Ah.”

Rodan’s hands went up. He and Dart were more than tough enough to handle the bullets, but El was a different story. “Heya, fellas… What if I told you this wasn’t as nearly as bad as it looked?”

The guards glanced at each other, before turning their attention back to the would-be thieves. The guards said nothing, grabbing and roughly shoving the trio forward, out of the vault.

As they were led through the corridor, back to the elevator, El had only one question.

What had happened to Mothra?

\-----------

In the security room of Gojira’s Palace, the door was suddenly kicked off its hinges, as guards stormed in to find the room empty, the two who should’ve been staffing it asleep and pinned to the wall by a thick glue-like substance, and the security terminal burned out, dead.

The security team did a quick sweep of the room, finding nothing out of place.

And in the air vent, smiling happily to herself, was a tiny little fairy moth, glowing like an odd firefly. She turned around, and hurried down the vent, moving to her next destination.

\----------

Rodan let out a grunt as he was forced into a chair next to his friends. After they’d been caught, security had ‘escorted’ them to an office overlooking the casino’s main floor. The thumping of the music was, thankfully, muffled by the walls, but still, there was something left to be desired.

Like the fact they had been caught to begin with.

“…so, who talks first?” Rodan quickly rambled. Rule one to being caught, take control of the conversation. “I talk first? You talk first?”

The fat bastard sitting in his chair spun around, glaring at them. “You three’ve got some nerve. Walking into _my_ building, trying to take _my_ money.”

“…it’s not your building.” Dart responded.

“Dart!” El hissed.

The casino’s owner tilted his head. “Excuse me?”

“Godzilla’s face is plastered everywhere, that means this place is his.” Dart reasoned, causing the owner to laugh.

“Kid, shut up!” Rodan ordered through clenched teeth.

“Heh, I like you.” The casino owner pointed to Dart. “Regular copyright lawyer, you are.”

“Actually, you know what, that is a pretty good point!” Rodan spoke up. “You know you’ve gotta have a pretty lengthy legal battle on your hands once word gets back to Monarch.”

“Sure,” The owner shrugged. “But it’s no skin off my teeth.”

“…” El blinked, eyebrows shooting up. “Huh?”

“I don’t own the place.” He admitted, looking at his reflection in the dish of little, silver fake apples on his desk. “I just run it for my real employers.”

“Employers…” Rodan repeated, eyebrows knitting together in thought. “More than one?”

The manager made an iffy motion with his hand. “More or less.”

Rodan frowned. “You don’t know?”

“Never met them face to face.” The manager elaborated, before an electronic chime lit up his desk. “Ah… that’s them now.” He pressed the flashing collection of pixels, and the screen changed to show only a waveform outline. “Boss man, how’s it going?”

 _“I see you’ve caught some would-be thieves.”_ The boss responded, the being’s voice too distorted by electronic modulation for any of them to pick up anything distinctive from it.

The manager frowned. “How did you-“

 _“How I know what I know isn’t important, only that I know it.”_ They cut off the manager. _“El… so, you’ve finally found my magnum opus. Do you like it?”_

The girl blinked, shifting in her seat. “Do _I_ like it?”

 _“I built it for you, you know.”_ The leader of the entire operation murmured. _“The statue of your… brother, the bright lights shining like the sun, the futuristic music… all of it, for_ you.”

“For… me?” El repeated.

 _“But of course…”_ They responded like it was obvious. _“I’ve only ever wanted the best for you… I love you, you know.”_

El felt a chill run up her spine. “I don’t know who you are.”

 _“But… you do.”_ The leader replied. _“Irving? Get the men out of the way. Leave the girl.”_

The manager frowned. “Out of the way?”

 _“Leave them to the cops, throw them out, kill them, whatever.”_ The boss flippantly replied.

“I wouldn’t do that!” A new arrival warned, kicking the doors open.

All heads snapped, and their jaws dropped, as they beheld Mothra, all the bags of money that had been confiscated strapped around her torso, with two weapons in each hand.

“You should know that it’s against my personal code to take a life that didn’t escalate the situation to that point.” Mothra informed, before pulling the triggers on her guns, causing miniature bolts of lightning to arc out between the guards, sending them to the floor. “Stunning people, though-“ She threw the guns to the side, the sparks lighting up between her fingers making it abundantly clear where the electricity had really come from.

“Mothra,” Rodan shot to his feet with the others, as Mothra kept her pistol pointed at the manager, slowly advancing, “Where’d you go!? We thought you bailed on us!”

“Just got a little sidetracked.” Mothra politely smiled, even as she turned to the manager. “That your boss?” She asked, pointing to the computer.

The manager slowly raised his hands, nodding.

“Excellent.” Mothra smashed through the touchscreen with her bare hands, ripping out a small, glittering jewel the size of a thumbtack.

“W-What?” The manager spluttered, looking at the crystal.

“Your boss.” Mothra replied, glaring at the little diamond.

“It’s…” Dart raised a finger. “A diamond.”

“No ordinary diamond.” Mothra corrected, turning to glare at the manager. “It’s a relay. A fancy interdimensional telephone, if you will. A long time ago when I first banished him, my brother tried to use one of these to get back. Clever little things.” She commented, tapping it gingerly. “Even someone as far removed from the universe as Battra could create one of these and send it whizzing over here.”

“I-Is that him?” El inquired, fear bubbling in her being yet again. “Battra?”

“No.” Mothra frowned, looking at the man who was managing the casino. “You, where’d you find this?”

“M-Me!?” The man squeaked.

“There’s no way a jewel can build a computer system to house itself.” Mothra looked at the man with dripping sarcasm. “You’re the second-in-command of the entire operation, it stands to reason you were the first to find this thing. Now, do you want to tell me, or do I have to rip it out of you?”

The man looked at her, fearful, before he sighed, gulping. “I was construction foreman… we were getting some pretty freaky magnetic interference, we thought it’d interfere with the equipment. When I went to check it out… I found that, and when I touched it…” He gestured to the busted electronic device. “The plans for that were burned into my head.”

“Ah, yes, a computer terminal through which the controlling intelligence on the other side of this,” Mothra held up the crystal, “Could send you building schematics, instructions, and… let’s just say music files.” She looked smugly to the rest of the group.

The manager sighed, nodding. “I would get files… plans, instructions, and like you said, music.” He looked to El. “The boss said it was to lure in somebody. Guess that meant you.”

“It _was_ a trap…” El breathed.

“I’m sorry we doubted you.” Rodan sighed apologetically, already dreading the ‘I told you’ that was sure to come.

“You should be.” Mothra replied, sending a stun shock to the manager. “I’m never wrong about these things.” She moved over to the door glancing at her compatriots. “Come on!” She prompted. “We can’t just stand around and _wait_ for the police to show up!”

“Right, shit!” Rodan spluttered, taking off after her.

\---------

Getting _out_ of the casino was harder than getting in, but they managed it. Mothra’s light-bending abilities were useful for more than blinding people, after all.

Making it back out to the rented car, they threw the bags into the trunk, piled in, and buckled up.

“Wait, there’s something I’ve always wanted to say.” Rodan cleared his throat, earning a prompting look from Mothra, before she recognized what he was rambling on about.

She would’ve chided him for wasting time, but honestly… it was hard not to indulge him, coming hot off the heels of a successful heist.

Besides, the movie he was wanting to quote was a good one, sue her.

Mothra started by reaching to the sun shield, pulling two pairs of sunglasses down, handing one to Rodan, placing the other on her face.

“It’s eighteen-hundred miles to Hawkins,” Mothra began, looking ahead. “We’ve got a full tank of gas, a hundred million in stolen cash, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.”

Rodan grinned, nodding, and gesturing with two fingers. “Punch it.”

Mothra threw the car into drive, slamming down on the gas, and the tires squealed as they drove off, into the night, leaving Gojira’s Palace and the city of sin behind.

Next stop, Hawkins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	48. Viva Las Vegas, Part Five

Behind the desk in the Hawkins police station, the new Chief, Powell, looked upon the bags of money with inquisitive eyebrows, before looking up to the one who brought it to him. “Do I wanna know?”

“Probably not.” Rodan answered, taking a drag from a cigarette in his mouth.

“Mmm-hmm.” Powell nodded. “And what am I supposed to do with all this, huh?”

“I dunno, buy stocks,” Rodan retorted, getting up from the chair, “Fix some roads, divvy it up and give it to the families of those thirty-something people who died in that mall fire or gas leak or whatever the hell you’re calling it.

“Hey,” Powell called, as Rodan crossed the door. “Thanks.”

Rodan only offered a two-fingered salute in response, before storming out.

Powell sighed, leaning back. He had his work cut out for him.

\---------

The door slammed and the car shook as Rodan climbed into the passenger seat of the impala, flicking the cigarette butt out the window.

“So,” El leaned towards the front. “Is that it?”

“Yep,” Rodan turned around, “Powers or Powblock or whatever his name is gonna distribute the money to the poor jerkoffs who had family that died when Lady Lamp’s brother went apeshit on the fourth.”

Mothra shot an aside glare to the fire demon. “Good to see your tact hasn’t suffered any.”

“Ah, whatever.” Rodan waved her away, kicking his feet up on the dash. “Let’s just get this baby moving again, yeah? I dunno why, but this place gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

Mothra rolled her eyes, but nodded, turning around to look at El. “How about it, little one? Are you _certain_ you don’t want to visit your friends?”

“…I do.” El admitted. “But then I’d have to visit Mike, and… I told him we shouldn’t see each other for a while.”

“Aw, shit, trouble in paradise, that sucks.” Rodan sadly commented. “Don’t worry, kid, it gets better either way. He’ll either come back running, or the two of you decide it’s best to be apart. Either way, you’re young and you have your entire life ahead of you. Love can wait a bit.”

“…hm.” Mothra made the sound, looking to the man.

“What?” Rodan cocked his head.

“That’s oddly mature of you.” Mothra commented.

“Hey, I’ve been around the block a time or two.” Rodan retorted. “Experience is the best teacher. So!” He clapped his hands. “Whaddya say we get this show on the road, eh? We still gotta get this car back before the rental company sends out the hit squads to take it by force.”

“Hit squads!?” Dart yelped fearfully.

El rolled her eyes, looking to her nephew. “No. He’s just being dramatic.”

Rodan shrugged. “It’s a cutthroat business, I hear.” He joked, as Mothra threw the vehicle into motion, and they drove off, approaching the outer bounds of Hawkins.

“…I do still have a question.” El addressed Mothra, as they drove. “The crystal… you said it was a phone line, right?”

Mothra nodded, still focusing on the road. She’d destroyed the thing, but it was only normal that El still had questions. “Right.”

“So… who made it?” El asked, frowning. “The boss… they acted like they knew me…” She shivered. “They said they loved me.”

Mothra sighed. “I don’t know, my child. But normally, crystals like that are the last resort of very, _very_ desperate souls. Whoever forged it would’ve been placing their last hopes upon it.”

El frowned. “How come?”

“Well, normally those crystals act as sort of…” Mothra thinned her lips. “Landing lights. Think of… someone placing a radio transmitter on an island so a boat in a hurricane can find its way. Same basic principle.” She explained. “Whoever sent that crystal is likely trapped outside of this universe with no other way in, in a prison outside our normal flow of time. Actually, I can say that with confidence.” Mothra muttered, “After all, buildings that size take ages to construct, and it was a trap engineered to lure us in by using Godzilla’s image well _before_ he even emerged from Lake Jordan.”

El took a deep breath, a long gasp, and she pointed in realization. “That’s how they got the future music! They don’t experience time like we do!”

Dart blinked, looking dumbstruck. “Sorry, I don’t get it.”

“Okay, D’Artagnan,” Mothra looked to him in the rearview. “Imagine you have a building with infinite floors stacked atop each other. Each floor is a universe. The space in between is the space between spaces.”

“The void.” El sped along for him. “No light, no dark, no up, no down, no space, no _time…”_

“If you existed within that void, the only constraints of reality would be those imposed by your mind.” Mothra explained. “Even _time_ would be malleable. For a being in that void, they could view any event in the past, present, or future like a person watching a VHS tape. Able to rewind, pause, drop into any point that they so which.”

Dart slowly nodded in understanding. “Which is how they got the future music. They pulled it from the future.”

Mothra smiled proudly. “Precisely. And how they engineered the construction of the casino. They sent the crystal back to a point far enough ahead, and let the humans do the rest.”

“But why?” Dart asked, looking between Mothra, Rodan, and El. “I mean, why go through all of it? If this boss guy can send the crystal, why don’t they just drop in themselves?”

“They’re very likely trapped.” Mothra hypothesized. “Unable to escape under their own power, but able to influence the outside in some respects. That crystal was likely only the beginning of an escape plan of sorts.”

“But, that begs the question…” Rodan spoke up. “Who’d be stuck _outside_ of time and space as we know it, and decide the best plan to get out is through a casino?”

“The casino was likely only the beginning.” Mothra guessed. “In order to excite the crystal structure enough to puncture a hole in the dimensional membrane, it would take a significant amount of energy. Energy costs money.”

“And so you make a monument to gambling, plop it down in the middle of the city of sin, and watch as the cash rolls in.” Rodan nodded in understanding. “Welp, guess we put a stop to that right fucking quick, didn’t we?”

El huffed, smiling. “Yeah.”

And so, the four drove off, into the approaching sunrise, proud of themselves. In their possession, a keepsake from their little hairbrained scheme, a souvenir postcard of the casino. The throne-shaped building was lit up in bright lights on the picture, the statue of Godzilla standing tall in the front plaza, not even a fraction of the size of his inspiration.

And on that postcard, a sentence in cursive font, the Casino’s motto, which had been taken from an old song; _“We’ll meet again; don’t know where, don’t know when…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	49. Resurrection, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scientists experimenting with the piece of the Mind Flayer left In Billy are trying to figure out a way of inoculation against the hellish entity. Their first iteration of the serum doesn't work exactly as intended, however, and instead of forcing the piece out of Billy's body, it jumpstarts back to life.
> 
> Back from the dead, Billy's little more than a feral beast with flashes of his former life. And worse, the piece of the Mind Flayer is triggering a transformation in Billy's body, a mutation...

Deep within the winding halls of a government lab, men and women of several different scientific disciplines went about their workdays. Some were experimenting with technology, others were running biological trials, and some were just people doing simple busywork.

In one room, far, far inside the facility, there was a room similar to a morgue with scientists working inside it. On the slab in the room lay a charred, half-vaporized corpse covered in bits of melted and recooled metal.

This body had once been Billy Hargrove. Now, it was just another scientific curiosity. The only intact human victim of Godzilla’s atomic breath known to exist. Well, that, and the only recovered human being from the Hawkins Possession Event.

It was for that reason why these scientists undertook their work with care. All other people who were known to have been infected by Titanus Illithid had been melted down to be reformed into that body, save for this one. He was the only surviving victim… for a loose definition of the term ‘surviving.’

Since they recovered the body, they had been doing tests, running trials to perfect an inoculation against the creature’s possession. When the Mind Flayer came back, as it always did, they would be ready this time.

And today, they were ready to put the tests into action. Mostly. They couldn’t _actually_ test it on a living human, but they could test how the fragment still attached to Billy’s corpse would react.

It was still alive, if dormant.

Thus, the scientists watched, ordering another doctor in a hazmat suit to enter, delivering the inoculation directly to the infected area. There was no way to tell at this stage if it would _prevent_ infection, but they could see if it drove it out, and that would be nothing if not a start.

The hazmat doctor pressed the needle directly into Billy’s sternum, running through the necrotic, charred flesh, directly into the chest cavity. That was where the small fragment of the Mind Flayer was located, tapped into the spine and hijacking everything.

The doctor pressed down on the syringe, injecting the green fluid into Billy’s body, emptying out the syringe, and stepping back.

After a few moments of tense waiting, Billy’s body began to spasm, and the doctors inhaled as they watched. A few seconds passed, and then something none of them could predict had occurred.

Billy sat up, opening his eyes.

“God, Jesus!” One of the doctors cursed.

“That’s not possible!” Another yelped, as Billy shot to his decayed feet, trying to lunge for the hazard-equipped doctor in the room with him.

“It’s happening!” The first doctor retorted, slamming on the button. “Security to lab four!”

“Incredible…” Another doctor mumbled as the hazmat doctor tried keeping Billy back. “It must be an autonomic response.”

“After so long with no activity of any kind?” Another questioned in reply. “I don’t think so. The fragment must be acting as a sort of… new brain.” He theorized. “Sending signals to the muscles, receiving what it can from the rest of the body.”

“Either way, it’s up and moving.” Another commented, frowning as Billy roared with fury, throwing the table over. “Jesus!”

“What’s it doing…” One doctor wondered as the hazmat doctor finally escaped the room, and Billy went to bang on the door.

The walking corpse screeched, smashing through.

One of the doctors’ jaws dropped as they looked upon the escaping _thing_ , noticing as the charred skin began to take on an even darker, almost rubbery texture. “The body… it’s _repairing_ itself.”

“That’s not-“ The next man was cut off by another enraged bellow, as Billy tanked the gunshots meant for him, ripping through the guards sent to take him down.

“Get everyone out of the building, now!” Another security guard screamed into his radio. “Get everyone out and seal- AAAAAAAAAGH!” The man was cut off as his back was ripped open, and he was knocked to the floor by the walking Billy.

Billy growled, beginning to pick up the pace, as he ran towards a wall, smashing through it, landing outside. With a triumphant scream, he broke into a sprint, running as far as his formerly dead legs could carry him.

\---------

Billy’s body sprinted far into the wilderness, deep, deep into the woods and marshlands surrounding the place he had escaped from.

He was following nothing more than animalistic instincts now. Yet, as he got further and further away, he began to slow down and slowly stabilize, blinking.

An image filled his mind, the last thing he’d been thinking about of his own volition before he died, forever fossilized in his brain cells. A short redhead.

Max.

What was left of Billy didn’t know how he knew that name, only that there was something attached to it. Protectiveness.

He needed to find her.

It was thus, that the beast’s search began.

\----------

As the weeks went by, the Beast slowly began changing, from charred human into something else. His feet became more akin to a second set of hands, as a thick layer of fur sprung out of his regenerating flesh to replace the clothes he could no longer wear.

He walked slowly, supporting himself on his massive forearms, as he walked. And as he did so, he noticed that over the days the trees, plants, and animals started getting smaller compared to him.

Had he still had enough of his brain left to care, he would’ve been scared. But the only thing he was concerned with now was getting to Max, wherever she was.

And as the weeks passed, he finally saw it. A sign welcoming him to ‘Indiana,’ and the Beast was pulled into a memory.

 _“Indiana!?” Billy repeated distastefully. “What the_ fuck _is in that hillbilly hick-fucking cousin-fucker state!?”_

 _“Hey,” His father growled, pointing at him, “You watch your language around Susan, understand me? And we wouldn’t have to be moving if_ you _didn’t fuck up.”_

The Beast took a breath, growling, before he roared at the sign, smashing it to bits.

Max was in that state.

The Beast began to walk, eyes narrowed with purpose.

He was going to find her. He had to.

\-----------

“…I’m telling you, Godzilla would _kick Superman’s ass!”_ Dustin insisted vehemently, nearly slamming the table in his insistence.

“No, he wouldn’t!” Lucas retorted. “Superman can fly, _and_ he can lift Godzilla like he was made of Styrofoam!”

“Superman’s allergic to a _rock_!” Dustin shot back, pointing.

“It’s not a rock, it’s kryptonite, and he’s allergic to it because of radiation!”

Dustin clapped his hands, gesturing. “Exactly! Godzilla eats that shit up _and_ puts it back out! Godzilla would squash Superman, and anything else is delusional!”

Max let out a frustrated sigh, slamming her head on the table. She turned to Mike, looking at him pleadingly. “Please get them to stop.”

Mike, who’d been shoveling the food into his mouth, stopped. “Huh?”

Max let out a longer sigh, slamming her hands down, before standing up. “I’m out of here.”

“Hey, you can’t-“ Dustin was about to say, when the lights flickered, and the building shook. “Oh… hell, not again.” He muttered, guessing already that it was another kaiju coming to wreck their shit.

In merely a few seconds, Dustin was proved right as the roof of the building was ripped off, and a giant monster peeked his head over the wall, looking down.

“Jesus!” They breathed, scrambling to scatter with the other students.

The Beast growled, looking around, before his eyes locked on Max and they narrowed.

“Oh _shit._ ” Max hissed, going to run. The Beast reached his enormous hand in, grabbing her, picking her up off the ground. She screamed, struggling and kicking futilely as he pulled back from the school, walking far into the distance.

“Shit…” Lucas heaved. “Shit! MAX!” He bellowed, ripping through his bag for his slingshot, as the enormous monster receded into the horizon. He pulled it out, lining up some shots, but it was far, far too late as the enormous creature just became a point in the distance and then nothing at all.

“What was…” Mike breathed, dumbfounded. “What _was_ that!?”

“I dunno, man!” Dustin replied, “But it looked like Donkey Kong’s bigger brother!”

“It took her…” Lucas ineffectually muttered. “It took her…”

“We…” Mike looked to him. “We have to rescue her!”

 _“’We!?’”_ Dustin squeaked. “What’re we gonna do against something that big!?”

“We can’t just leave her to that thing’s mercy!” Lucas shot back.

“I didn’t say that,” Dustin replied, “But _think_ a minute! Your girlfriend’s been taken by a giant ape, you’re _not_ Mario, and even if you were, there’s no buildings around here to knock it’s ass off of!”

Mike swallowed, turning. “I have an idea...” He took a breath. “Cerebro’s still set up on the hill, right?”

“Yeah.” Dustin answered, and Mike dashed into motion, running out of the room.

“Where’re you going!?” Lucas demanded.

“I’m gonna call the guys who’s _job_ it is to fix problems like this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	50. It Takes a Village...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years have passed since the Xiliens defeat, but now the King and Queen of the monsters have a different battle to contend with...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had an idea to revisit some of the worlds we've seen and check up on their inhabitants. Why? Well... All I can say as that Cyber-Godzilla and Madzilla are going to become VERY important.

_Cyber Godzilla’s world, five years after the Xiliens were defeated…_

The world had returned to some semblance of normality after the Xiliens were kicked back into the black hole they had crawled out of. There was the occasional threat, sure, whatever prospective dictator who happened to get their grubby hands on what remaining Xilien tech there was, but they were easily dealt with.

Cyber Godzilla and Madzilla (or just ‘Ms. Godzilla’ as the media called her, which she hated for regulating her to being nothing more than Godzilla’s feminine counterpart) didn’t usually have any monstrous threats to fight, no giants rising from the depths to kill, just… human threats. Oddly normal in a way for them. They’d gotten their fill of weirdness from the Xiliens and the other aliens.

Still, that didn’t mean it was an effortless job. The Xilien tech laying around was enough to harm them, at least a little bit. Their jobs were easy, but it did take its toll on them, at least sometimes.

Cyber-Godzilla sat as still as he could, as a team of technicians fooled around in his dorsal circuitry. He heard something spark and growled.

 _“G,”_ Madzilla crossed her arms, looking at him sternly, _“You’re not getting out of it this time.”_

Cyber-Godzilla shifted. He hated it when the maintenance teams had to fix up his nonorganic parts after a more difficult battle, or to give him some upgrades. He rumbled dangerously. _“You’re not my mother.”_

 _“No, but I am your_ wife, _and am perfectly fine with leaving you out in the doghouse if you take that tone with me again, mister!”_

Cyber-Godzilla huffed, rolling his eyes, as he heard the click, and could feel the maintenance workers climbing out of the housing they’d been working in.

“Alright, big guy!” Rick’s apprentice, a Texan man by the name of Sturges, walked around to the cyborg monster’s front. “We’re all done. Gave you a complete overhaul, buddy. Mark two shield emitters, upped the tolerance on the dorsal capacitors, _and_ overhauled the self-repair system for your metal bits.” He smiled charismatically. “You’re better than new, big guy.”

 _“Better be,”_ Cyber-Godzilla stood up, the capacitors that had long since replaced his spines pulsing blue as his body’s energy pulsed through them, _“Given how long it took you bozos.”_

Madzilla cocked her head, growling threateningly.

 _“I mean, thanks.”_ He offered, the translation circuits in his mouth doing their job well enough.

Sturges offered a friendly salute. “No prob, big G. Now, why don’t we put your new upgrades to the test, eh?” He suggested as he walked over to a computer terminal set up nearby under a protective canopy. He turned the device on, pulling up the command prompt. “Aite, big fella, I’m gonna send you the firmware update for your cybernetics, stand by.”

Cyber-Godzilla stood steady, feeling a small jolt in his brain, before his eyes went dark for a few moments. Seconds later, the world flickered back into existence, looking much more vibrant than it had before. The targeting reticule in the center of his vision floated there silently, nearly invisible, but always just within view.

The motion tracker in the lower corner of his vision pulsed like a small radar, before with a thought, he pushed it away, the circle fading into nothing. At the top of his sight, there was a bar shaped like a stretched-out hexagon.

“Shields reading fully stable…” Sturges read, looking over the top of the screen. “Aite, now all we need to test’s the recharge. Go ahead and bring ‘em down.”

The cyborg nodded, before the capacitors on his back flashed, and the invisible field over his body suddenly popped, causing small, blue sparks to radiate off his body wildly. After a moment, the field stabilized again, and the bar at the top of his vision returned to normal, much faster than normal, before he sent that away as well.

“Shields read normal,” Sturges happily reported, standing tall with his hands on his hips, “Everything else is green too.” He closed out the command window. “All right big fella, you can go- whoa, hold it…” He looked at the screen.

Madzilla raised a concerned eyebrow. _“Something wrong?”_

“Nothin’ with your man,” Sturges responded, while sending a message back through the internal communication network. “But your momma’s on the warpath.” He turned to both of them. “You’d both best get down to medical, ‘fore she breaks something.”

Cyber-Godzilla and Madzilla glanced at each other. _“Breaks something?”_ The feminine one of the two repeated. _“Why would she be that angry?”_

Sturges shrugged. “Hell if I know, man, I just saw Carlin’s whole list of seven words repeated ad verbatim and put two and two together.”

The two monsters looked at each other, befuddled, before they turned to walk across the compound to the main medical station.

“If one of you dies, make sure you put out nachos at the funeral!”

\---------

The two were wondering what could’ve gotten Emma in such a mood as they approached the building, and wondered how long it would take for them to get an answer, when she came scrambling out, her face the picture of fury.

“You!” Emma snarled, pointing at Cyber-Godzilla. “I-You-my daughter- … _ARGH!”_

The two monsters blinked.

 _“Yeah, so, that’s a perfectly calm reaction.”_ Cyber-Godzilla sarcastically muttered. _“You maybe want to try actually_ telling _us what’s wrong?”_

“Don’t talk back to me like that!” Emma pointed furiously, “You, _what_ have you been doing with my daughter!?”

 _“Oh, you know, the normal married couple stuff.”_ Cyber-Godzilla answered.

Madzilla sighed frustratedly, looking to her mother. _“Mom, what’s this about?”_

Emma looked up to her daughter, before sighing. “Come with me...”

\-------

The good doctor guided them over to the more isolated far-end of Lake Jordan, and sat down on the small dock on that side, wondering where precisely to start.

“…I need you two to be honest with me.” Emma began, looking at both sternly. “Have you two been having sex?”

Cyber-Godzilla coughed in shock, the capacitors on his back sparking with the sudden jolt of surprise, before a well-placed smack from Madzilla knocked them back into operating normally.

 _“MOM!”_ Madzilla spluttered. _“YOU CAN’T JUST_ ASK _THAT!”_

“I’m not asking as your mother, I’m asking as your doctor.” Emma crossed her arms in retort. “You’re both adults now and married, which is why I’m _not_ threatening to murder him right now. So _answer the question.”_

The two looked to each other and Madzilla sighed, the water bubbling with the act. _“Yeah.”_

“Okay,” Emma took a clipboard out of her lab coat, beginning to write upon it, “For how long?”

 _“Um, Emma-“_ Cyber-Godzilla tried to get rid of the prying questions, only for her to cut him off with a hand.

“Answer me.” Emma commanded, as she still kept writing. “I need all the information I can get, it’s serious.”

 _“Since…”_ Madzilla shifted. _“We got rid of Shin Gojira.”_

Emma paused for a moment. “…I see.” Before she went back to writing. Madzilla had almost _died_ fighting that monster, an undead, mutant god of evolution created using the bones of an ancient Godzilla native to Earth, instead of being created via the Upside Down. The final fight at the heart of Tokyo had almost ended with Madzilla going _thermonuclear_ in the hopes of killing the creature. It worked but left her in critical condition for some time.

It stood to reason that almost dying put some things into perspective for the two of them.

 _“Mom,”_ Madzilla questioned, worry in her tone, _“What is all of this about?”_

“…well, I can’t put it off any longer…” Emma sighed. “Madison, the last time we had you come to medical for a check-up, I noticed something unusual in your blood tests.”

Madzilla raised a curious eyebrow. _“’Something?’”_

“A hormone,” Emma flipped the page over to look at something, “I had tests run and -among other things- there were elevated levels of hPL in your system.”

 _“…right…”_ Cyber-Godzilla slowly nodded. _“For those of us who aren’t doctors…?”_

Emma sighed, wondering why her daughter would’ve chosen to marry such an ignorant jarhead, except for the obvious reasons. “Human placental lactogen.”

Madzilla blinked. _“Uh…”_

“It’s a pregnancy hormone.” Emma stated outright, looking her mutant daughter dead in her titanic eyes. “You’re _pregnant._ ”

 _“…”_ Madzilla blinked silently, her breathing visibly picking up.

 _“…OOOOOHHHHH!”_ Cyber-Godzilla suddenly shouted. _“_ THAT’S _WHY YOU SMELL LIKE THAT!”_

Emma crossed her arms curiously. “Smell?”

 _“Yeah!”_ Cyber-Godzilla nodded. _“She’s been smelling weird for the past month or two. Not bad weird!”_ He amended upon seeing his wife’s look. _“Good weird! But weird because it’s different.”_

_“I-I can’t… what…”_

“It makes sense…” Emma muttered thoughtfully to herself. “The reasons the Xiliens turned you into that to begin with so was he could have a female to breed with.”

 _“No- but- wait- Isn’t that a_ human _hormone?”_ Madzilla stuttered.

“You used to _be_ human, remember?” Emma put her hands on her hips. “Some trace amounts are bound to remain, in whatever form.”

 _“Right, like the-“_ Madzilla began to recall just before cutting herself off. _“I’m…_ pregnant _, God…”_

Cyber-Godzilla held up his hand. _“I have_ several _questions. Chief among them, how many babies can we expect, and what’re we gonna name the little shits.”_

 _“Name!?”_ Madzilla’s head snapped to her husband. _“You want to_ keep _them!?”_

 _“W-Well,_ yeah _.”_ He said like it was obvious.

 _“Oh no, you do_ not _get to decide that without my input!”_ She angrily retorted.

 _“I-I-I wasn’t doing that,”_ He stammered, holding up his hands, _“I’m just saying, we’re both lizards now, lizards lay eggs, ergo you lay eggs, which means all you have to do is find someplace to drop those suckers, set up some lamps, and don’t worry about them until they hatch!”_

Emma crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowing in surprise. “I can’t _believe_ these words are about to cross my lips, but he’s right.”

_“What!? Mom!”_

“We’ll have to do an ultrasound to be sure of course, which might be a problem given your size, but I’m wholly confident saying that you _won’t_ have to deal with a live birth.” Emma looked at her daughter sternly. “Consider yourself lucky. Very lucky.”

 _“Yeah, and you can take it from her, cause she’s had to do it herself!”_ Cyber-Godzilla remarked, just stating the obvious.

 _“Wait, what about what_ I _want!?”_ Madzilla asked in response. _“I may not_ want _children, did you consider that!?”_

 _“…oh.”_ Her husband’s face dropped. _“You don’t?”_

 _“No- I mean, that’s not what I-“_ She sighed. _“Look, I_ love _you, but think about it. We’re not human. Our kids, if they become even a_ fraction _of what we are, they could level cities. And we’re lizards. Lizards lay_ dozens _of eggs at a time.”_

“Almost sixty,” Emma interjected, “By my current estimate.”

 _“Jesus.”_ Cyber-Godzilla muttered.

_“So, you see my predicament here!”_

The male of the two reluctantly nodded. _“Yeah, yeah… sorry Mads. Guess I just got caught up in… well, the two of us not being the only ones of our kind.”_

“Madison,” Emma addressed, “I can’t force you to do anything, God knows it, but I _strongly_ urge you to consider this. This isn’t just about you or him anymore, we’re looking at the birth of a new _species_.” She gestured for emphasis. “Think about that for a second. We’re exploring uncharted territory here, how your bodies work, how a full-life cycle occurs, all of it!”

 _“That’s right.”_ Cyber-Godzilla whispered. _“Appeal to her scientific curiosity.”_

Madzilla sighed, rubbing her face. It was a tactic that worked. _“Okay, okay, hold on for a minute. I_ just _told you guys how I don’t wanna be fighting an army of things like us if they get outta hand, and you still want me to go through with it?”_

 _“Uhh, not how I would’ve put it, but yeah.”_ Cyber-Godzilla rumbled with a nod. _“If it helps, you have_ full _permission to say I told you so if it goes south.”_

 _“When.”_ Madzilla corrected, sighing again. _“…fine. I’ll do it.”_ She shrugged, and it was clear her counterpart was damn near jumping for joy. _“But!”_ She pointed to him. _“Until I lay those eggs, you are officially my manservant! Get me a chair, chop chop!”_

Cyber-Godzilla nearly smacked himself, as he ran off to their den at the bottom of the lake to do just that.

Emma turned to her daughter, looking stern. “Really?”

 _“You guys are making me carry around_ sixty _unborn babies that I only really want just to get you guys to shut up, you’re damned right I’m milking this for all it’s worth.”_

\-----------

“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!” Sturges remarked as he entered the den through the little entrance they carved out on the surface for humans. The Texan was wheeling around a stack of massive boxes on a cart, pushing it around with deceptive ease.

 _“There’re people who actually_ say _that?”_ Cyber-Godzilla mumbled curiously.

“Y’all are expectin’, how ‘bout that?” Sturges remarked, taking the boxes off the cart. “Aw, I remember when my sister had her first. She was terrified outta her everlovin’ mind, but the kid turned out fine. Just follow your instincts, you know.”

 _“Thanks, Sturges.”_ Madzilla nodded, looking at the boxes. _“What’re those?”_

“I figure you don’t wanna be plantin’ yer butt on those eggs all the time to keep ‘em warm, so I brought these!” He gestured. “Heat lamps. One of these little babies is enough to cause sunburn. I brought ten.”

 _“…thanks, Sturges.”_ Madzilla offered after a moment, _“But you know reptiles don’t sit on their eggs, right? They just lay them and go.”_

“…oh.” The man blinked. “Aw, well Hell, you can still get some use outta them anyway.” He waved it away, turning to leave. “They’re easy to set up, just point ‘em somewhere and flick the switch. My own craftsmanship, so, you know they’re user-friendly.”

Madzilla blinked as Sturges ascended up the elevator, before turning to her husband. _“You’d better check those things. Knowing Sturges’s history, I wouldn’t be surprised if those things spontaneously sprouted legs, voltroned together, before running off to God knows where.”_

Cyber-Godzilla huffed, rolling his eyes.

One incident with a Sturges-built grill, and suddenly everything is a ticking timebomb.

\-------

“I made it myself.” Ilene remarked, looking to the enormous, thick blanket being spread out on the floor in the corner where the eggs were to go. It was a team of forklifts doing the heavy lifting, with some help from Cyber-Godzilla.

The giant blanket was a wooly monstrosity, an enormous, swirling, cascading nebula pattern on it, thanks to the countless number of smaller blankets that had been stitched together to make it possible.

Madzilla turned, looking down at the woman. _“Yourself?”_

Ilene shrugged. “Well, all of us had a hand in it. We couldn’t figure out what you all would need since the usual human stuff is… out for obvious reasons. So, we came up with that. Somewhere soft for the little ones to start exploring without the worry of hitting the hard ground.”

Madzilla smiled, looking upon it. _“I love it… thanks. To everyone.”_

Ilene nodded. “You’re very welcome. Though, I do expect at least one of them to be named after me.”

Cyber-Godzilla snorted. _“There’s sixty, trust me, naming a couple after you egotistical yahoos_ isn’t _gonna be a problem.”_ He stood still, suddenly realizing something. _“Maddie, can we name some after the Transformers?”_

Madzilla sighed, looking to Ilene. _“You see what I have to deal with?”_

\---------

Then, it becomes a waiting game of several weeks, almost three months, waiting for the eggs to hatch. When the first one does, it happens totally unexpectedly, while the two parents are arguing over whether or not to forever burden one of their kids with a name like Optimus.

One of the eggs suddenly twitches and cracks. The event is enough to finally grab their attention, and the two parents run over.

 _“It’s happening…”_ Cyber-Godzilla breathed. _“Come on, little guy, you can do it… come out to papa.”_

The shell breaks away, and there’s a little eye peeking out, looking around curiously. It jumps back in surprise, knocking its own egg over, and he went to go help.

Madzilla’s hand shoots out, blocking him. _“We can’t help.”_ She tells him sternly, looking at him gravely. _“It’s part of how they learn to fend for themselves early on. If we help, it won’t develop properly.”_

Cyber-Godzilla looks reluctant but acquiesces.

The shell is thick, a couple of inches at most, thick enough so the little one inside takes quite a while to bust through. Just when the two parents start to think it might not be able to emerge, however, a little spark of bright blue flashes through the tiny hole, and the egg explodes.

Their first is officially born.

The two parents stand there, watching frozen, as the newborn walks around curiously, blinking. It looks up at the two and chitters.

 _‘Mother?’_ It doesn’t _actually_ ask, but they know the intent behind the curious observation of them, _‘Father?’_

 _“Hi there, little guy…”_ Cyber-Godzilla murmurs, bending down to pick up the tiny (compared to him, though the kid was still at _least_ the size of a double-decker bus) lifeform.

Madzilla walks over, gently touching the child, feeling something tug at her. She didn’t want to get too attached, but here she was.

 _“…we need to think of names.”_ She says, and Cyber-Godzilla pales.

Sixty kids. Sixty names.

They had their work cut out for them.

\-------

The first one to hatch, the trailblazer of the clutch, his name is Mike, they decide. He’s followed by an even more curious one that they name Dustin. Then, they name the third Lucas. The fourth Max…

The fifth, the first female they can truly verify as such, they name Joyce. Then the second female they find, they name El.

Anyone could see the pattern.

The Party had met with a terrible fate when the Xiliens made landfall, but now… their memory will live on forever. There’s Jim who’s a bit of a grouch, but always pulled to do the right thing. There’s Steve, an idiot who’s heart’s in the right place, and Will Jr.

Naming the rest weren’t as easy. Cyber-Godzilla takes naming duty for half, while Madzilla gets the remainder. His names are all short, strong sounding, to the point. Names like Wrex, Grunt, Bowser, and Optimus.

Madzilla’s names aren’t any longer, but they are more human. Luther, Marie, George, and Peter. Boring names. Normal names. A reminder of the culture their parents originally came from.

By the end, all sixty were named, jumping up and down at the names, and trying to climb their parents like jungle gyms.

Cyber-Godzilla sighed, looking down regretfully.

Already, he could start to feel the little shits teething on his capacitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	51. Resurrection, Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, it's the big fight... TAKE YOUR BETS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

Mark Russell was _not_ having a good day. Not that anything had happened to make it particularly bad, but the anniversary of his son’s death was approaching. Five years had gone passed, five years of fights, mourning, and whatnot.

The day itself hadn’t come, but it would be there soon. Another year gone past without Andrew. And this year was especially melancholy. Maddie would be thirteen (chronologically speaking. Physically, from her perspective, she was fifteen.).

One year older than Andrew had ever gotten to be.

Mark was happy, of course, that his daughter was alive. She’d become such a strong, independent, courageous young woman, and he was so proud of her. But some days, he did wonder what it would be like. If it was her, not Andrew who passed away in the night.

Mark let out a deep, angry-with-himself sigh for even thinking that again and proceeded along his path. He’d given the others advanced warning to leave him alone until the day came and went. Now, all he could do was find some place quiet and out of the way and figure out a way to pass the time.

That search led him to one of the storerooms, a place where the only people coming in and out would be there just to shove something on a shelf before leaving.

At the far end was a desk with a ham radio upon it, the model that El used most commonly to talk to her friends in Hawkins, coated with a thin layer of dust. Ever since she’d broken up with Mike, it had gone disused, and as Mothra went through the base upgrading everything with her powers of ‘advanced foreknowledge,’ the device had been missed in the sweep of upgrades.

Mark didn’t care, it’s not like he used the thing anyway. He was just there to read in peace until he could turn in for the day without feeling guilty.

So, Mark sat down, opening his first book to chapter one. He had a small selection waiting to be read just for this occasion. You could criticize him, running from his emotions like that, but anything was better than drinking, as he would justify.

As he sat there, getting lost in the pages and the ink printed upon them, the radio suddenly crackled to life.

_“Hello!? El, are you there!? Please pick up, it’s an emergency!”_

Mark placed his book down, frowning. He recognized that voice, Mike had come out there when Godzilla and El found themselves in that mirror universe. But why call now?

Regardless, if it was the kids from Hawkins calling in such a frantic panic, it probably meant trouble. Big trouble. He couldn’t just sit there and ignore it, unfortunately.

Mark sighed, hitting the button on the microphone. “This is Doctor Russell, I read you loud and clear…”

\----------

“This is _bad_.” El muttered, pacing back and forth once the situation had been relayed to everyone in the command center. “Why would it go after Max?” She wondered.

“Don’t know,” Rick replied, “Doesn’t matter. The fact is it has her now.” He looked up from his console, as he piloted a drone with the joystick on his console. “We’ve got visual on Kong now.”

Serizawa turned, raising an eyebrow. “Kong?”

“The kids said it looked like Donkey Kong’s big brother and we need a name for him anyway.” Mark gestured in a resigned manner.

“…I see.” Serizawa muttered, in a way that implied he was utterly _done_ with all of them. “Put the drone feed on-screen.”

Rick nodded, sending the video to the enormous screens at the head of the room. There on the video was Kong, running as fast as he could through the woods, stamping down trees, crushing hapless animals underneath his feet.

“He’s as large as Godzilla…” Ilene noted with awe, as she beheld the deceptive swiftness with which the enormous ape-like monster moved.

“Yeah…” Vivienne muttered, before turning around. “Where’s he going?”

Rick looked down, tapping some commands into his keyboard. “Current estimates place him heading to the… west coast.” He looked up, shrugging regrettably. “I can’t give you any more than that, sorry.”

“Well, whatever the case, we have to rescue that young woman before Kong can bring her to harm.” Serizawa resolved, turning around to face El. “Get your brother.”

El nodded, running off to do just that.

\-----------

On the floor of Godzilla’s second den, the one he carved out and fled to when he was feeling especially bad, the King of the Monsters lay on the floor lazily, his Little Queen perched on top of his snout, laying her stomach with her limbs spread out as she tried to hug him.

Ever since they discovered that Battra had effectively locked Godzilla in monster mode, forever robbing the two of everything normal couples could do without having to flee into the dream world, they’d been isolated in there, cut off from the outside world by their own choice.

That was the problem, you see. He could spend all the time he wanted with Maddie, but he couldn’t hug her, or kiss her, or play around with her without her getting hurt, or go somewhere to eat with her, or-

Godzilla screwed his eyes shut, trying to cut off the thoughts as they came.

She was close to him… but forever out of his reach.

Maddie didn’t seem to have a problem with that. She never needed to do any of that stuff with him before and would be happy even if she wasn’t able to. For now, she was just with him, supporting him with her mere presence, an act that he was immensely grateful for.

Of course, that was when their peace was shattered. The rock that he’d set up to block the others from entering was broken apart, rubble flying everywhere as Godzilla’s eyes snapped open, and Maddie turned to look.

 _“WAKE UP, BITCHES!”_ Rodan bellowed as loudly as possible. _“WE’VE GOT SHIT TO DO!”_

Godzilla growled as he got to his feet. _“Rodan… I’m gonna give you_ five seconds _to get out before I turn you into fried chicken, got that?”_

 _“No, you listen to_ me. _”_ Rodan retorted. _“You’ve been locked up in this depression cave for the better part of a_ month _. We went to Vegas and robbed a casino for god’s sake, while you were on your ass sulking!”_

 _“We’re not_ sulking.” Godzilla growled.

“…we’ve locked ourselves in a cave.” Maddie reluctantly shrugged. “Yeah, we’re sulking.”

Rodan sighed, fixing Godzilla with a stern, yet sympathetic, expression. _“Look, I understand. You had a good thing ready to go, and Battra ruined it. Anybody would be sad. But right now, we’ve got bigger problems.”_

Maddie tilted her head curiously. “Bigger problems?”

 _“There’s a giant friggin’ monkey out and about rampaging, it’s kidnapped one of your little friends from Hawkins, and it’s headed towards the west coast.”_ Rodan quickly explained to Godzilla.

Godzilla inhaled. _“Kidnapped… which one?”_

_“The red one.”_

_“Max…”_ Godzilla exhaled.

 _“Listen, I know you just wanna sit there and let us handle it,”_ Rodan began, _“But you know those kids better than the rest of us do. She won’t freak out when you show up to rescue her.”_

_“…yeah.”_

_“So, how about it?”_ Rodan pressed. _“There’s trouble in the kingdom, is the King just going to sit it out?”_

Godzilla looked up, his expression steely, as he placed Maddie down on the ground. Eyes and spines pulsing with power, the King of the Monsters stood up.

_“Let’s go.”_

\---------

“HEY!” Max screamed, ineffectually kicking and punching at the flesh of the giant monster’s hand. “SOMEBODY!” She yelled, to no avail as the beast’s enormous stomps and growls were enough to drown her out. “LET ME GO!” She snarled to the face of the giant creature. “YOU HEAR ME, YOU BIG, STUPID MONKEY!? LET ME DOWN!”

Kong’s enormous eyes glanced down at her, looking upon her with pity and protectiveness, before he looked up, continuing his march.

“FREAK!” Max snarled, falling back down to the bottom of the cupped hand. She couldn’t climb out, no matter how hard she tried, the constant movement and unevenness of the hand making it impossible to find a point to climb on.

Max didn’t understand. Why her, of all people? It ripped off the roof of the building, and out of _everyone,_ it singled her out of the crowd, before running off with her. And the way it looked down at her…

Call her paranoid, but she could’ve _sworn_ it recognized her. The problem is, she’d never even seen an ape, not even in a zoo. The closest thing she came to was Billy-

She immediately shut that train of thought down. Thinking about Billy right now was only liable to cause trouble, trouble she didn’t need on top of being hauled around by a big, stupid monkey.

 _‘Think, Max, think…’_ She willed herself. She wasn’t the _smartest_ mind, but she did have a working brain, and a long, skeptical streak to her about everything. There had to be an explanation for this. If she could just find out what, maybe she could figure out where to start fixing this mess.

It’s just a shame the thing didn’t seem to be any smarter than an actual ape.

Okay, time to think. The thing evidently knew where to find her, when she’d be in an easy place to get caught, and… well, _her_. It also seemed to be… protecting her? It could’ve crushed her at any instant, but it’s hand only stayed closed enough to keep her from falling, even letting a little bit of light through a gap too small for Max to fit through.

And… that was it, really.

Max sighed, biting her lip as she looked through the tiny gap. Kong was taking her somewhere, that much she was sure of. But where? And why?

She got one of those answers soon. There was a city out in the distance, and then she could see it better. The Golden Gate Bridge.

The buildings passed them by, and the screaming of the people were drowned out, as Max saw another building. A house like all the others, but a place she could pick out of a lineup if she had to.

Her old house. Before the move to Hawkins

Max’s eyes shot wide open. It had _known_ where she lived. She turned around, looking up at the face of the monster, and she forced her brain to work.

 _Think_ , she willed herself. Giant monsters were popping up all over the place now, but why would this one seek her out? Unless, it was different somehow. She had to think, of all the ways she knew they came into being. There were the ones caused by Biollante’s death, then there were the ones that were always here like Mothra and Rodan, and then there was the third category.

Upside Down mutations… Like… Godzilla.

It was then, that Max got a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach. Godzilla had been Will, Will had been possessed by the Mind Flayer which caused the mutations to begin with. Everybody else who had been possessed were melted down for that body, except for one…

Max’s eyes shot open as she considered it. It made sense… How Kong knew where to find her, how Kong knew where her old house was, why the giant ape seemed to be taking great care with her, and why he even _knew_ her to begin with.

But… it was impossible.

…then again, a few years ago, she would’ve said Godzilla, the Upside Down, girls with psychic powers, all of those… would’ve been impossible too.

So, hoping against hope, Max looked up to the face of the giant ape, and her jaw dropped.

“Billy?” She asked.

Kong’s head snapped down to her in surprise, and his eyes widened.

\----------

He knows that name. He doesn’t know how he knows it, but he does, and he knows it’s his. Was his, a long time ago, before… now.

That’s what his memories are. The before and the now. The now is clear, understandable, the before is a broken mishmash of what feel like dreams, fleeting and only able to be remembered if something pulls them to the surface.

But this girl, Max, she knows something about them. About before. She knows what he used to be.

In that moment, Kong’s protective drive went from mere instinct, to deliberate action. She knows these things…

So he’s going to make sure she can tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	52. Resurrection, Part Three

The structure of the Transamerica Pyramid shook and creaked as the enormous ape-like monster climbed up the side of the building. Distantly, Max thought she could hear the screams of the people below as the beheld the giant monster her stepbrother had become.

Max yelped as Kong’s arm suddenly moved, and she was deposited on the roof of the building, gently, but still suddenly enough for her to stagger.

Max breathed heavily, looking over the edge at the massive drop, before swallowing, and turning around.

Kong grunted as he pulled himself up to look over the top of the building, at Max, and the girl felt a chill run up her spine.

There’s no mistaking it. Those blue eyes looking back at her are Billy’s. There’s a pain beyond his years there, a deep, permeating rage, and even with his face as animalistic as it is, she can almost recognize his jawline and nose, although heavily warped by whatever transformation he’d been subject to.

“Billy…” Max breathed, carefully taking a step. “What... _happened_ to you?”

Kong tilted his head, letting out a curious growl as she approached, and Max stopped.

There was something there, different in his eyes. Not the constant exasperation she was used to having directed at her from Billy, but wariness.

Kong knew of her… but he didn’t _recognize_ her.

“Billy…” Max carefully reached out her hand. “It’s me, Max… your sister.”

\---------

 _Sister…_ The Beast barely recognizes that word. It means kin, which is odd, because thinking about the other meanings of the word he can remember, mother and father, there is only hatred attached to those. Not sister. Attached to sister, there is that same protective feeling, and as his brain struggles to work with what it has left, he still can’t put it all together.

It frightens him, before a part snarls at him for being weak, and he snarls right back at it. He knows not who he his, why he is here, or why he even exists. It is natural to be scared.

All of it evaporates, however, when Max touches her hand to the tip of his finger.

\----------

He’s been reset to factory settings, Max supposed to herself. Like a digital clock getting hit by a sudden power surge and going to the default, dying and coming back must’ve reset Billy to how he was before the Mind Flayer got its claws on him.

That, or… not enough of Billy made the trip back from the great beyond to be useful to it anymore.

She supposed that was a good thing. The last thing they needed was the Mind Flayer back and in control of a big monkey the size of _Godzilla_.

But that begged the obvious questions. _How_ was Billy back, why he was like this, and how much did he remember?

Well, if nothing else, Max had a starting idea.

“You remember me, right?” Max muttered, touching her hand to the tip of his finger. The surface of the skin felt thick and rough, not in the same way as Godzilla who felt like his scales were armor, but more like Kong’s entire surface area of skin was one great big scab.

Kong looked down at her, a blank expression plastered on his face. It looked like Max’s contact was starting to get the proverbial gears to work. Max was then about to probe further, when the moment was shattered by a deep, scratchy bellow, and the water in the bay displacing.

Godzilla waded out of the water, looking ticked off. Not in the way that someone had messed with one of his friends, though that was surely a factor, but rather in the sense of someone being woke up in the middle of the night to deal with a problem, and all he wanted to do was fix it so he could go back to sleep as fast as possible.

Kong turned around looking to the arrival, before snarling.

Max gulped. This was not bound to end well.

\----------

The Beast had faint memories of the abomination standing in the distance. It was the last thing he remembered before his world became awash with blue light and searing hot pain.

Somehow, the Beast knew it was the thing responsible for making him what he is now. And if the abomination attacked him, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t go after Max.

Kong growled, snarling at the interloper, before letting go of the tower, letting himself fall to the ground.

He landed on his two feet, and stood tall, pounding his chest.

\-----------

Godzilla grumbled furiously as he strode out of the water, wading onto land. The others had given him the cliff notes version. The big dumb ape’s name was Kong, they couldn’t be sure where he’d come from, or why he’d gone after Max, but those last two didn’t matter to him.

As soon as he heard the name, and saw him holding onto the top of the Transamerica building, Godzilla felt himself stand taller.

He’d been looking to have a rematch ever since that _other_ Kong kicked his ass on that island. It wasn’t the same, but it was a better outlet than purposefully getting El to send him to Dadzilla’s world so he can start a fight.

Regardless of where this Kong came from, however, one thing was certain in Godzilla’s mind.

The stupid ape was going to get his ass kicked.

Godzilla threw his arms to his sides, and pulled an even deeper, power-filled roar from within him.

\----------

And so, the players took their final places. It was not to be an especially difficult battle, for either of them. The King of the Monsters had vanquished far more powerful threats, and the one who would become King of Skull Island carried his fighting skills from his former life, but the two were evenly matched. Speaking in hand-to-hand terms, but Godzilla knew better than to try and waste his atomic breath on what was sure to be a fast-moving target.

Kong roared first, charging towards Godzilla, and so, their battle began.

The street cracked underneath his titanic steps as Kong ran on all fours, crushing empty cars, power lines, and other objects as he ran.

Godzilla bellowed, charging in response, dragging his tail along as he closed the distance, clipping the walls of buildings as he sprinted towards the giant ape.

Kong roared, pulling back his fist, sending it slamming into the top of Godzilla’s head as he finally got close.

Godzilla stumbled back, as his head was sent reeling to the side. His spines flickered with anger, and he steadied his hand, extending his claws.

Godzilla swiped, sending his claws across Kong’s face. Skin tore as muscle was pulled apart, blood scattering everywhere as Kong let out a deep, pained roar.

The King of the Monsters wound up his other hand, slashing Kong’s chest, leaving three deep cuts in the ape’s thick skin.

Kong, however, wasn’t just taking it laying down. Up until that point, Godzilla had fought opponents who used their arms or other methods to fight. He wasn’t prepared for the next move Kong pulled out.

The giant ape’s leg shot up, and Godzilla could feel the impact pain flare up right in his groin.

The King’s eyes shot open, and a blast of atomic breath instinctively escaped his maw, as the resultant screech echoed for countless miles. Every being that heard it, male or female, winced in sympathetic pain.

Godzilla, still feeling the pain but feeling the anger outweigh it, _grabbed_ Kong by the head, and threw him down the street, sending the enormous ape sliding into a block of apartments. While he was down, Godzilla took that moment to take a running start.

The mutant lizard leapt into the air, spines pulsing with energy, before he angled his elbow down, _bodyslamming_ Kong with such power that the surrounding buildings collapsed from the shock of the immense impact.

Kong coughed, spitting out blood and spittle, as Godzilla repeatedly drove his fist into the ape’s head.

With each strike, Kong was sent looking in a new direction, barely remaining stable long enough to see. A chunk of the building caught his attention and reached out for it. While the lizard on top of him was occupied following his rage, Kong grabbed the chunk, and swung.

Godzilla’s world exploded into painful colors as he felt it drive into the side of his head, knocking him off the ape. He shot back up to his feet quickly, just in time to see Kong swing the makeshift club down on his head.

More stars erupted in Godzilla’s vision, and he growled, swinging his tail around into Kong’s side. The ape remained standing but staggered just enough for Godzilla to grab the club, throw it to the ground, and smash it into a thousand pieces.

Kong snarled, bringing his arms up to bear as he rammed into Godzilla, sending the giant reptile reeling into a building. Godzilla’s spines shattered the glass and cut through the metal and concrete supports of the building like a knife tearing through tin foil.

The building creaked uncertainly, and Godzilla looked up, his monstrous face twisting with fury. Kong walloped Godzilla in the chest, and that was when Godzilla decided he just didn’t want to make Kong hurt, he wanted to _kill_ the bastard.

Godzilla sprung forward, arms outstretched, and he grabbed onto Kong, pulling him to the ground as the building behind them fell like a weak sandcastle. The mutant reptile roared, going for Kong’s shoulder, and sunk his teeth into the fur-covered flesh.

Kong howled in agony but responded by sinking his own sharp teeth into Godzilla’s gills, causing the reptile monster to screech.

The two got to their feet, ripping out bloody chunks from the other.

Godzilla’s hand shot to his wound, clamping down on it, as he glared at Kong.

Kong staggered on his feet, clutching his shoulder, as he glowered back at Godzilla.

Play time was over, Godzilla decided.

The mutant reptile’s spines began to hum, glowing blue, as the air rippled with power, the charge lancing up his back.

“WAIT!” Max screamed, _finally_ getting their attention. She’d been screaming at the two to stop since the fight kicked off, only now being able to be heard thanks to the relative calm caused by the two standing there. “DON’T KILL HIM!”

Godzilla glanced at her, and growled, still charging up as he stared holes into Kong. There’d be a few actual holes in him in a couple of seconds.

“IT’S BILLY YOU IDIOT!” Max bellowed. “IF YOU KILL HIM AGAIN, I WILL _NEVER_ FORGIVE YOU!”

That was the thing to finally get Godzilla to snap out of his bloodlust. Not Max never forgiving him, he didn’t give a rat’s ass what she thought of him, but rather, Kong being Billy.

Billy should be _dead_ , not up, about, and a giant ape. Then again, he supposed that explained why Kong took Max instead of literally _anybody else_ , as well as his dirty fighting style.

Godzilla was no stranger to freaky goings-on, and he’d been mutated by the Mind Flayer as well, so, he was the living proof that Max’s theory held credibility.

“Please…” Max pleaded, looking up at Godzilla with watery eyes. “He’s… something’s wrong with him, but you don’t have to kill him. Please… don’t kill him.”

Godzilla looked down at her, then back to Kong. Finally, he sighed, and limped over to her.

Kong took a step forward, glaring at Godzilla, but did nothing as the mutant reached down to pick up Max.

The giant ape remained calm and collected -for as calm and collected something like him could be- as Godzilla limped over. The lizard’s hand dropped from his wound, and he held Max up, presenting her to Kong.

Kong leaned forward going to look, and that was when Godzilla took the shot.

He balled his fist and put every last ounce of strength he could muster behind the hit. Kong was sent down like a sack of falling potatoes, and Godzilla shook the pain out of his hand.

“Billy!” Max screamed, whipping around to look at Godzilla. “You didn’t have to do that!”

Godzilla _very audibly_ growled, as he put her on top of his head. Max couldn’t tell why he was so angry, but if she had to hazard a guess, it was because of the things he’d done while under the Mind Flayer’s control.

He snarled, grabbing Kong and pulling him up by the fur.

“Don’t hurt him!” Max begged.

Godzilla huffed, throwing Kong over his uninjured side. He looked down at Max, letting out a blast of air, before shaking his head, as he limped over to the water.

Kong was out, but he wasn’t dead. Now the only thing left was to figure out what to do with him.

Easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	53. Resurrection, Part four

_“Good heavens…”_ Mothra muttered in concern, as she helped tend to Godzilla’s wounds. _“You’ve taken quite the beating.”_

 _“Heh,”_ Godzilla grunted, _“You should see the other guy.”_

Maddie stood there with her arms crossed, looking upon Godzilla sternly. “I hope you know I _felt_ most of that.”

Godzilla shrugged, causing Mothra to smack him lightly in a chiding manner for disobeying her instruction to remain still. _“Not my fault.”_

“No, but it _is_ your fault you decided to do a goddamn _bodyslam!_ ” Maddie placed her hands on her hips. “My elbow’s killing me now!”

_“…have I ever told you you’re hot when you’re angry?”_

Maddie crossed her arms again, thoroughly unamused. “Keep trying, one of these days, it might work.”

 _“Whoa…”_ Dart muttered, standing over Kong’s unconscious form. Since he’d lost the fight, he was the one who got medical treatment first, before being _thoroughly_ anesthetized.

 _“Careful son,”_ Godzilla warned, _“I don’t want you to catch his jarheadedness.”_

 _“JARHEADEDNESS!?”_ Dart yelped, recoiling. _“MY HEAD’LL ACTUALLY TURN INTO A JAR!? NO, NO, AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”_ He screamed, running off into the distance.

Maddie pointed to Godzilla sternly. “You’re fixing that later.”

Godzilla sighed. _“Of course I am.”_ He shook his head, before looking to her properly. _“Where’s Max?”_

Maddie relaxed somewhat, finally. “El’s showing her around the island.” She looked up at Godzilla seriously. “She’s worried. About what’s going to happen to…” She gestured. “Billy Kong.”

Godzilla raised an eyebrow. _“Billy Kong?”_

“He’s Billy, but he’s… also _not_ according to her.” Maddie relayed. “G, seriously… She just got her brother back. She has a right to want to stay around him.”

Godzilla huffed, leaning back. _“I know, but it’s like you said. He’s_ not _Billy, not anymore. Mothra,”_ He looked to her, _“Tell her what you told me.”_

Mothra regrettably sighed, looking to Maddie. _“His brain is intact, but the original sections of it, the human parts that made Billy_ Billy… _They are gone. Decayed. What little remnant is left is nowhere near his original personality or being. He’s an… echo.”_

 _“A footprint on the beach.”_ Godzilla supplied to Maddie. _“And footprints don’t necessarily look like a boot.”_

_“He is a new being, with some memories, but not enough to make him Billy Hargrove.”_

“I think you’re wrong.” Max suddenly interjected, standing at the edge of the clearing.

 _“Maxine,”_ Mothra addressed, _“How long have you been listening?”_

“Long enough, and it’s Max.” She corrected, walking up to Kong’s inert form. “…He recognized me.” She turned to face them, placing her hands on his enormous arm. “He recognized _himself_. He remembered his own name. It may not be a _lot_ , but it’s still Billy in there.”

 _“Max,”_ Mothra gently muttered, _“Some traces of his memory, perhaps his personality even, may remain… but he cannot possibly function in a normal human environment. And he cannot function here,”_ She looked to Godzilla sternly, _“If the behavior of our illustrious King is any indication.”_

 _“Relax, Lady Lamp.”_ Godzilla rumbled, _“I got my fill of fighting. Be more worried about_ him _trying anything rather than me.”_

 _“Which is a very real possibility, if we try to keep him separated from Max here on this island.”_ Mothra considered.

“That’s a good point.” Maddie considered, rubbing her chin. “He can’t stay here. Not with Godzilla, Rodan, and Dart causing trouble. It wouldn’t be a good environment.”

“So you’re going to _kill_ him!?” Max incredulously demanded.

Maddie’s hands went up. “No. But we can’t let him stay with us.”

“Well then, what’re you going to do, because I’m not hearing any actual ideas!”

Godzilla took a breath, looking up. _“I’ve got an idea… He won’t be able to harm anyone, and he’ll be able to roam to his heart’s content.”_

Maddie tilted her head curiously. “What’re you suggesting?”

 _“Mothra…_ ” He looked to her. _“Do you know of any… deserted islands big enough to hold that guy?”_

 _“Yes.”_ She nodded. _“Why?”_

\------------

The S.S. Venture, a cargo ship very graciously loaned to Monarch for this mission, followed Godzilla’s path through the Indian Ocean. Its deck had been cleared of cargo containers, making room for something else.

Kong lay on his side on the deck of the ship, his arms and legs clasped in gigantic metal cuffs specially designed by Mothra to hold him. On the first day, he’d woken up and struggled as hard as he could, only for the chains to hold strong.

By now, the fight had been exhausted out of him, and Kong just lay there on the deck, wide awake, but as still as the dead.

“He looks so… _sad_ just laying there.” Max remarked, heartbroken, as she looked at the beast that her brother had become.

“No one likes being locked up.” Maddie murmured in understanding, as the two of them watched a crew of people gather distantly around him. Not the crew of the vessel, oh no, but rather, a film crew.

“And now they’re _filming_ him, like a _sideshow attraction.”_ Max clenched her fists, as she watched the pudgy film director or producer or whatever ordering around his people.

“They’re a documentary crew.” Maddie sadly shrugged. “It’s their job.”

“He just wants to be left alone, look.” Max pointed, as Kong turned away.

Maddie gently placed her hand on Max’s shoulder. “Don’t worry… once we get to where we’re going, everything will be fine.”

“You keep saying that.” Max whispered. “I don’t believe it.”

Maddie sighed, looking over. “Carl!” She called. “DENTHAM!” She bellowed, grabbing his attention. “That’s enough! Give him some peace and get below deck!”

The man gritted his teeth but couldn’t argue given that she was technically the one in charge of the mission and gave the order for the rest of the crew to clear out, before retreating into the ship’s innards.

“Thanks.” Max offered.

Maddie nodded. “We’ll be hitting the island soon, I think.” She told Max. “I’ll… give you two some time.” She turned, going to head to the bridge.

Max drew a breath, slowly walking over to Kong, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

There was so much she wanted to say, too many words to effectively relay. Instead, she just settled upon wordless silence, placing her forehead to his fur.

\----------

The Venture reached the island approaching sunset, and it became a delicate matter of releasing Kong from his bindings and getting him onto the island without him going totally berserk.

Mothra was, thankfully, already there ahead of them, and so was able to provide assistance, should they need it.

Fortunately, they didn’t. After the clamps were released, Kong crawled his way off the Venture, through the shallow waters, onto the island, without trying to harm any of the people on board the ship. It helped that they didn’t really do anything to him, but still, good to note.

Godzilla stood on the edge of the island his arms crossed as he looked sternly upon Kong. Really, he wanted nothing more than to shove a tree down the fucker’s throat, but at this point, he was doing this for Max.

Well, not really for _Max._ Max benefitted, but Godzilla was really doing this for El, who made it abundantly clear that if he _didn’t_ help, she would find very creative ways to make him miserable for the foreseeable future.

The King of the Monsters stood there, warily watching as Kong slowly explored his new home.

“…I’m gonna miss him.” Max swallowed, she and Maddie standing atop Godzilla’s head. “I don’t know what’s worse… when he was dead, or this.” She scoffed, wiping a tear away. “Used to be I wanted him gone more than anything else in the world, and now that it’s actually happening…”

 _“Life has a way of putting things in perspective.”_ Godzilla rumbled with experience. Off the coast, the Venture weighed anchor, and began to move, away from the island.

“…What’ll happen to him?” Max asked, looking to Maddie. “Will he be okay here, on his own?”

“Mothra already checked to see if there was food out here that can support him.” Maddie nodded. “He’ll be okay.” She looked over to the giant ape, curiously examining the skull-shaped rock formation atop the mountain. “Monarch’s gonna set up sensor nets and stuff around this place, so if anything comes here to mess with him, we’ll know about it.” She looked to Max. “And you can visit.”

“I… can?” Max asked.

Maddie nodded. “It’s not a prison. You can come and go whenever. But for now… it’s probably a good idea to let him get started on his own.”

Max slowly nodded, staring at Kong.

 _“Right, well, we should all probably be heading home.”_ Godzilla decided. _“Mothra, give Max a lift, would you?”_

 _“Certainly.”_ Mothra approached, leaning her head over. _“Come, little one. Let’s get you home before your mother gets any more worried than I’m sure she is.”_

“Right…” Max climbed aboard, grabbing onto a tuft of Mothra’s fur to keep stable. “Godzilla… thanks.”

Godzilla shot her a two-clawed salute. _“Anytime.”_

With that, Mothra beat her wings, and shot into the air, leaving just Godzilla, Maddie, and Kong as the only beings there.

“…I know you didn’t want to do this,” Maddie looked to Godzilla, “But I’m glad you did.”

 _“…yeah…”_ Godzilla grumbled, sighing. _“I can’t stay in the den forever… no matter how much I want to. I’m the king, I have duties.”_

“Most of the time.” Maddie tacked on. “…I noticed you were a bit brutal in that fight.” She commented, glancing at his eyes. “More than usual. Any particular reason why?”

 _“Yeah, I just…”_ Godzilla rattled, _“Needed an outlet for my anger, I guess. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”_

“G,” She sat down, rubbing his scales, “I would’ve rather you worked it out in a fight than bottle it up and snap at the rest of us.”

 _“You’re right… it did me at least a little bit of good, beating something up.”_ Godzilla blinked in sudden realization. _“Son of a bitch…”_

“What?” Maddie inquired.

 _“Mothra, Rodan, Dart… they were more than capable of handling Kong.”_ Godzilla realized. _“The only reason they got ahold of me was so I could have a chance to work out my stress… Huh. Guess that means I have them to thank for getting kicked in the ‘nads.”_

“Just don’t break something when you get your revenge.” Maddie requested, as Godzilla finally turned to wade back into the water.

 _“No promises.”_ He rumbled, finally leaving Skull Island behind.

And Kong was left, alone.

\----------

Max was gone, the abomination was gone, the moth was gone… the only thing left was the Beast. In a strange land surrounded by endless ocean, filled with plants and some animals almost as large as him. Easy enough to deal with.

However, he didn’t feel saddened by their departure. Not even by Max’s abandonment of him. She’d be back, he could sense it.

For now, all he had was the animals, the bugs, the food… and the silence. No one around to tell him what to do, how to live.

And Kong was perfectly happy with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	54. Love's in the Air... Probably Because of a Leak, You Should Get That Checked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does did anybody else remember that sunday was Valentine's Day?
> 
> Cause I sure didn't.

Mothra walked through the corridors of Castle Bravo, her heels clacking against the metal floor. El had realized that Mothra, for as much time as she spent in her human body, never really spent any time in the base, let alone knew the place’s layout in case of an emergency, so she was fixing that.

The two started their tour in the common areas, the cafeteria, the break room, and so on, before they moved onto the more restricted parts, like the command center and whatnot.

When they got around to it, El led Mothra in, and gestured around.

“…and this is the room where everybody gets shouty and panicky in a crisis.” El explained. “The command room.”

“I see.” Mothra nodded, looking around.

“Ah, hello El,” Ilene greeted, walking over to greet the girl. “How goes the day?”

“Good.” The girl nodded happily. “I’m showing Mothra around.”

Ilene raised a curious eyebrow. “Oh? I thought she already knew the island.”

“The island, yeah, but not in here.” El shrugged. “She doesn’t like coming inside the base. It feels stuffy, but I said that she needed to know what the inside looked like in case something happened.”

“Well, that’s awfully thoughtful of you.” Ilene commented, before looking at Mothra. “…You can eat human food in that body, yes?”

“Of course,” Mothra nodded, before tilting her head. “Why?”

“Perhaps after El finishes showing you around, we could get a coffee or something.” Ilene suggested. “I have _so_ many questions for you…”

“Ah, curious minds…” Mothra smiled to herself. “Yes, I would rather like that.”

El looked between the two, before her eyes suddenly widened, and her hand shot to cover her mouth.

“El?” Mothra looked to her, concerned. “What is it?”

“N-Nothing!” El quickly replied. “Let’s finish so you and Miss Ilene can go and get… food and stuff.”

Mothra blinked in confusion, but abided, shooting Ilene a little wave as El dragged her off.

\--------

“You’re reading too far into it.” Maddie immediately told El upon hearing the events relayed to her.

“Am I?” El questioned vehemently in response. “Ilene asked her for ‘coffee…’ isn’t that old people talk for… y’know…” She puckered her lips, making kissy noises.

“No!” Maddie retorted, poking El to get her to stop. “They’re adults, it _just_ means they’re hanging out to talk.”

“I dunno, look at that.” Rodan suddenly interjected, revealing his presence as he sat on the counter of the cafeteria.

Maddie double-took, pointing at him. “How did you get in here without us noticing?”

“I’m a Ninja.” Rodan replied, turning to look through the window. “Oh yeah… Doc Chen _totally_ has the hots for Mothra.”

El gasped, looking at him. “You can tell!?”

Rodan snorted. “I don’t need to tell, look at that haircut.” He pointed to the woman sitting across from Mothra. The two were talking, attention entirely focused upon each other, totally unaware of the people observing them from the cafeteria’s kitchen window. “That screams bisexual, if not full Lesbian. Lovely people, the Lesbians. Their island’s beautiful. I should make another visit, but then again, the last time I did there was that business with Scylla that went awry, so…”

El took a breath. “How can you tell she likes Mothra?”

Rodan sighed, pointing. “Kid, those aren’t ‘I’m listening because your conversation is interesting’ eyes, those are ‘I’m listening because life is short and you’re hot’ eyes. Course, the conversation’s probably interesting too, but that’s none of my business.” He poured something out of a hip flask he swiped from Rick into a coffee cup and took a great big swig of it. “Look at those two in there… they’re gonna be jumping each other’s bones by the end of the fortnight, mark my fuckin words.”

“Mothra is a _moth goddess.”_ Maddie replied.

Rodan looked at her sardonically. “So? Her biological clock’s still ticking.”

El looked to Rodan. “You think so?”

“Sure…” He shrugged. “If either of them will just make a move.”

El inhaled. “Oh, you know what we should do! We should help them get together!”

“No, no!” Maddie vehemently gestured. “No way, nuh-uh!” She shot back sternly. “This isn’t _The Parent Trap,_ this is real life, and in real life, stuff like that’s liable to get us committed!”

“But Maddie, look at her!” El insisted, gesturing to the two women. “Doesn’t she look happy talking to Mothra?”

Maddie’s eyes flickered over, and she saw what El was talking about. The conversation had moved from the barrage of curious questions Ilene initially held, to something more friendly. Jokes and stories and whatnot were exchanged with laughs, and during all of it, Ilene’s eyes shone with delight.

She did look happier, yes, although…

“Mothra has that effect on everyone.” Maddie crossed her arms and gulped, knowing her own words didn’t hold too much water.

“I dunno…” El thinned her lips. “It seems… different, this time.” She looked to her double. “Come on, Maddie… look at them.” She gestured, as Ilene laughed at one of Mothra’s stories, her eyes sparkling with delight. “And look at Mothra.” She pointed.

Indeed, the normal sort of… ancient sorrow that normally filled the air around Mothra was gone for the moment, as she merely focused on Ilene, listening intently to the woman as she said her peace.

“…yeah.” Maddie sighed. “Yeah… they look cute over there, if nothing else.”

“Oh, so we _are_ Parent Trapping them?” Rodan asked.

Maddie gritted her teeth but sighed. “Fine… yeah, we’re Parent Trapping them.”

\---------

“This…” El gestured to the whiteboard, “Is Operation Love Tunnel.”

“HA!” Rodan spluttered, spitting out some of his drink.

El tilted her head. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Rodan replied. “It’s just… you might wanna pick something else.”

El raised an eyebrow. “You know, like the tunnel of love?” She finally sighed and shrugged. “Okay.” If nothing, it looked like she was already prepared for that. “Operation: Get Ilene Into Mothra’s Heart-Shaped Box.”

“Oh my _God.”_ Maddie put her face in her hands.

El huffed. “What?”

“You know what that _is_ right?” Maddie asked as Rodan was unable to hold in his laughter.

El quizzically tilted her head. “You know, one of those red boxes that have candy in them.”

Maddie sighed, rubbing her face. “Jesus Fucking Christ El.”

“I-I can’t-“ Rodan giggled. “T-Tell her!”

El looked between them, demanding. _“What!?”_

“IT MEANS VAGINA!”

“OH!” El’s hands flew over her mouth.

“Yeah, from now on, leave naming things to us.” Rodan wiped away a laughter-induced tear.

“Okay, so… operation Love Muffin?” El asked.

The two glanced to each other, before shrugging. “Eh, okay, why not. So,” Maddie crossed her arms, “What’s the ‘plan?’”

El grinned, pointing. “Glad you asked…”

\-------

Ilene walked into her quarters, throwing the jacket over the back of her couch, as she slipped out of her shoes, and prepared to settle in for the night. As she was going to make dinner, however, something caught her attention.

A tiny vase of multicolored flowers sat upon her table, some of the blooms a light lilac colors, others a vibrant pink, and some blue.

“Hydrangeas…” Ilene muttered, looking at the card.

 _‘I heard you like these kinds of flowers, so I worked my magic so to speak.’_ The card read. _‘Don’t worry about them wilting. They’ll never need water or sunlight, so long as my hearts beat. -Mothra.’_

Ilene felt a small smile overcome her, as she looked at the plants curiously. “How did she know…?”

Unbeknownst to her, she was being observed. Not by anyone _in_ the room with her, but by an immaterial presence in the void.

El removed her blindfold, and the scene faded away, replaced by their temporary base of operations for this little endeavor, a storage closet with some computers and other stuff set up. The computers were so they could keep track on Mothra, just in case she could spot El in the void.

“She bought it.” El reported happily. “Hook, line, and sinker.”

“Nice, but you _still_ haven’t decided what to get Mothra.” Maddie crossed her arms. “It’s not going to be as easy as hydrangeas.”

“No…” El rubbed her chin. “There has to be _something_ she likes though…”

“Doesn’t this strike you guys as creepy?” Rick, who was there observing in exchange for shutting up about helping them set up the tech, commented as he picked at a tray of Chinese food. “I mean, Parent Trapping’s creepy enough when you’re not the people’s kids, but Mothra’s the mother of all life. I don’t know where they told you this island was, but we’re not in Alabama.”

“It’s metaphorical, you Cro-Magnon.” Rodan grumbled. “What, did you think Mothra _literally_ popped out every single living thing in existence?”

“Well-um-uh-no.” Rick stuttered.

“Hm…” Rodan rumbled. “…Mothra likes chocolate, I think.” He turned to them. “It’s like a… chill-pill for her. When she’s human, it makes her… endorphins or whatever shoot through the roof.”

“Helps that chocolate’s an aphrodisiac.” Rick commented, finishing off a bite of chicken.

“No way,” El turned to him, “Really?”

“It has to be, why else would everybody eat it on Valentine’s Day?” Rick asked.

Maddie drew a sharp breath. _“SHIT!”_

El and Rodan turned to look. “What?”

“It’s _Valentine’s Day!”_ Maddie shouted back, running out of the closet in a panicked frenzy. “I’ve gotta get Goji something!” She hollered, before sprinting off into the proverbial horizon.

“…did she just call him Goji?” Rick blinked.

“Uh, yeah.” Rodan nodded. “She sure did. Still,” He sniffed, “Whatever, we can manage without her. Only problem I can think of, is we got Mothra to whip up those special flowers,” He turned around, “How are we gonna get chocolate that’s special?”

“Hm…” El frowned, before snapping her fingers. “I’ve got it.”

\--------

 _“No!”_ Dart huffed, the giant lizard hunched protectively over an _enormous_ stack of chocolate bars, each individual one almost three pounds.

“Dart,” El placed her hands on her hips reproachfully, “You’ve got hundreds of those. You can give us _one_.”

_“No, I can’t! If I give you my chocolate, I won’t get any!”_

Rodan sighed, rubbing his face. “Look, kid, say we take _one_ bar, you know how much that leaves you with? Nine-hundred ninety-nine.”

 _“But if you take my chocolate I won’t get_ any!” Dart squeaked.

“Ugh, we don’t have time for this.” El grumbled. “Dart, if you _don’t_ let us take one of your chocolate bars, which you bought with the money _we_ stole for you, I’m telling your dad you participated in a robbery.”

 _“ARGH, FINE!”_ Dart threw his hands up, walking away.

Rodan shook his head, but grabbed the chocolate bar.

One note and a stealthy sneak into Mothra’s lair later, the divine moth was blushing like a schoolgirl.

\--------

“…How long are we supposed to keep this up until they, you know…” Rodan made some weird scissoring motion with his hands El had never seen before.

El shrugged, still picking up on the meaning from context clues. “I dunno. But for today, we did it!” She turned, only to stop and freeze.

Mothra and Ilene stood there, their arms crossed sternly, as they looked upon El and Rodan.

“Did what?” Ilene asked, sounding like she already knew the answer.

“Oh… hey, guys.” El cringingly smiled and waved.

“Did you really think we’d fall for that?” Mothra asked. “El, we’re not _brain dead,_ we can talk to each other and figure out that these gifts were not from each other.”

“I-I-I’ll be off,” Rodan tried to move, only for Mothra to grab him.

“Oh, no,” Mothra held him in place, “You are staying right _there_ until you -both of you- can say why you thought it was a good idea to go around meddling in our personal relationships.”

El, at least, had the good decency to look chided as she looked away.

“Well?” Mothra asked.

El sighed. “…I thought we were helping.” She shrugged. “You’re so… _solemn_ all the time, but when you were around Miss Ilene, you looked happy. And so did she!” She finally met Mothra’s eyes. “It’s Valentine’s Day, nobody should be alone, and the two of you looked so good next to each other, I had to give it a try!” She explained. “I’m sorry, Mothra… Ilene…”

Mothra crossed her arms and looked to Ilene.

The other woman sighed, meeting El’s eyes. “El, I understand you only had the best of intentions, but this is serious business. It could have backfired. Mothra and I are good friends, but it might not have turned out the way you were hoping to see.”

“I just…” El limply shrugged. “You guys are my friends… I want you guys to be happy.”

“Which we are thankful for,” Mothra put a gentle hand on El’s shoulders. “But we’re adults. We can handle our feelings ourselves. Understand?”

El slowly nodded. “Yes, Mothra…”

“Now,” Mothra turned to Rodan. “Rodan …”

Rodan’s eyes bugged out and his hands shot up. “It wasn’t my idea! I just commented on what I saw!”

“Get out of here.” Mothra ordered. “Before I turn you into a flea or a cricket or something.”

“Y-Yes ma’am!” Rodan nearly smacked himself, before running off.

“As for you, El…” Mothra looked to her. “I hope you think very, very carefully about what you’ve done, and the possible ramifications of your actions if they had backfired.”

“Yeah…” El nodded blankly.

“Now, go.” Mothra gently guided her. “I’m not your mother, she probably wouldn’t take too kindly to me reprimanding you.”

“Right…” El shot a look over her shoulder, before walking back to her quarters.

Mothra sighed, looking to Ilene. “I’m terribly, terribly sorry. Had I known she would’ve reacted like that to a friendly conversation, I would’ve told her to leave well before we talked over lunch.”

“Oh, it’s no worries.” Ilene replied, waving Mothra’s concern away. “A situational misreading or two is to be expected, given her upbringing.”

“Yes, unfortunately…” Mothra sighed with regret, rubbing her face.

“So…” Ilene looked to her. “Do you… perhaps want to go get a coffee again? This time _without_ any Nosy Nancies looking over our shoulders?”

“Hm… yes.” Mothra nodded with a smile. “I would very much like that.” She glanced to Ilene, gently taking her hand, before walking to the cafeteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other news: I'VE GOT A [TUMBLR](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/) NOW! I'll be over there posting progress updates, answering questions, taking prompts. And not just for the Godzilla stuff either, if you've got ANY ideas, I'll be happy to crank them out for you.
> 
> No lie, I will respond to pretty much ANYTHING. Story requests, questions about the universe and whatnot, and if that's your cup of tea, questions FOR the characters (never done an in-character response thing before, should be interestng.).
> 
> Regardless, I'd love to see you guys over there. Why don't y'all swing on over and drop me an ask, pardner?


	55. The Good Old Days

Long ago, there existed a trio of monsters, defenders of nature and all the lifeforms within it. These monsters were the creatures of the planet Earth, and they’d become quite experienced in fighting back the death, disease, and corruption that sought to smother out everything good.

But they were not, as you might infer, Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan. No.

These monsters were Dagon, Rodan, and Anguirus.

The first, Dagon, the leader of the trio, was the oldest. He was an enormous, reptile-like lifeform. With the benefit of hindsight, it was obvious that his form was the template from which Battra took inspiration for the mutations that would be inflicted upon Will Byers all those millions of years later, with some slight differences. He was somewhere between a mix of a plant and a reptile, his scales a dark brown-green, almost the color and texture of tree bark, with spines that appeared more like enormous, stiff leaves, as opposed to the bony protrusions that jutted out of his ‘descendant’s’ back. A growth of spikes was on the bottom of his jaw, arranged almost like a beard, giving him an aura of age.

Notice how I said age, but not wisdom. This isn’t the beard of an old zen master, it’s the beard of a hippie who lives in his van, is constantly trying to set up another Woodstock, and was probably stoned out of his mind for a considerable portion of his existence.

The second, expectedly, was Rodan. Much younger in those days when he was when those on Monster Island and in Monarch had known him. More like a troublemaking teenager than the immature manchild he was in the modern day.

The third was Anguirus, an enormous, spiky Ankylosaurus, the third musketeer of the trio as it were. No one knows what happened to him, but he’s out there… somewhere.

These three were old friends, people who’d been through the best and worst of times together, not just friends, brothers in all but blood.

And at the moment, they were making trouble.

“So,” Dagon spoke with a raspy voice, “What exactly is the plan here, dude?”

“Oh, simple, my friend,” Anguirus looked to him, walking alongside on all fours with an enormous container of pitch balanced on his back. “You know how Gamera’s got that _giant_ pomegranate that he refuses to eat but won’t let any of us touch it?”

Dagon slowly nodded. “Yeah man. It’s a bit weird how much he coddles that thing.”

“Well, _I_ thought if he loves it so much, we should immortalize it so it’ll never have to leave his side.” Rodan chuckled. “Tell him, Gary.”

“We dump the sucker in this, pull it out, let it cool and harden, and bingo.” Anguirus laughed. “And then we color it, so when he goes to take a bite-“

“CA-RACK!” Rodan giggled. “Every tooth in his mouth gets a little shock.”

“Heh, nice.” Dagon grinned. “Who’s idea was that?”

“Dan’s.” Anguirus gestured as much as he could without knocking the enormous bucket of pitch off his back.

“Rodan…” Dagon laughed. “You _fucking_ genius. Ain’t you worried though, about actually hurting him?”

“Ah, ptooey.” Rodan waved his concern away. “The big turtle can grow his teeth back. Remember that big fight he had with Ganon?”

“Oh, yeah!” Dagon spluttered and descended into a gaggle of furious chuckles. “Everybody called him baby teeth for so long after that!”

Poor Gamera… he had no idea what was coming for him.

\----------

“So…” Dagon looked around, as the responsibility for carrying the bucket was temporarily handed off to Rodan to spare Anguirus the back pain. “These are Gamera’s stomping grounds?” He asked as he took in the thick jungle that they had been wading through for the past twenty minutes.

“Yep, a thicket of humidity, plants that’ll make you hurt in oodles of different ways, and the entire place smells like ass.” Rodan grumbled. “Ah, the rainforest.”

“Guys, look.” Anguirus suddenly interjected, grabbing Dagon’s attention by hitting him on the foot. He then proceeded to point to a small hill, with a giant fruit placed at the very top. “That’s his pomegranate.”

Dagon blinked, tilting his head. “Like, why would he just leave it out there, man?” He turned to look at it. “Any random shmuck could just come and take it.”

“I dunno, who cares!?” Rodan returned, flying over. He perched himself on a branch above the pomegranate, and clutched the bucket in his hands. “You guys ready-“

Dagon blinked, looking to the hill. Something about it was off. “Listen man, I don’t think we should-“

“Do it!” Anguirus egged Rodan on. “Dump! Dump! Dump!”

Rodan laughed, and made sure the stuff was warm, before he tipped the bucket over, sending the hot tar out onto the pomegranate below.

Rodan and Anguirus both laughed. “Excellent. Now all we have to do is-“

The ground trembled, suddenly cutting Anguirus off, as the hill began to shudder and move, seemingly growing.

In case you needed it spelled out for you by now, this wasn’t a hill. It was Gamera. The old turtle kaiju had been asleep in his shell, when the sudden increase in heat caused by the hot tar woke him up.

“Aw, hell.” Dagon shook his head, as Gamera stood on his two enormous feet, looking around.

The pomegranate rolled by, covered in black tar, utterly ruined.

Gamera growled, looking up.

Rodan’s eyes bugged out, and he passed the bucket over to Anguirus. “It was him!” He pointed to the Ankylosaurus kaiju.

“What, no, no it wasn’t!” Anguirus tossed the bucket away. “See? No bucket here, heh heh…”

Gamera barred his teeth, as his eyes narrowed. The large patches of moss on the back of his shell finally caught fire from the sheer heat, and he growled, the orange light framing him not as a protector of the earth, but as a demon from its depths.

“I’ll give you til the count of ten.” Gamera growled. “Then, you’d _better_ start running.”

Anguirus didn’t need to be told twice, and he beat feet before Gamera had even started counting.

“N-Now Gamera, I’m sure we can be reasonable about this.” Rodan chuckled awkwardly. “Why, I’m sure Dagon here would-“ He looked to his left, only to find Dagon sprinting away as well. “Oh, you backstabbing cockbite.”

Gamera seethed. “You were saying?”

“Uh…” Rodan gulped. “ _Hola me gustaría algunas drogas. Donde estan? Tengo dinero.”_

Gamera roared quietly.

 _“¡Hasta luego, adios, tengo que estar en todas partes menos aquí!”_ Rodan squawked as he hauled ass to get out of there.

Gamera clenched his fists, before breaking into a sprint after the three troublemakers.

\---------

“AAAAAHHHHH, RUN!” Anguirus screamed, running like a cheetah on speed.

“OH CRAP,” Dagon looked anxiously over his shoulder, almost tripping over a plant, “WHERE IS HE!?”

“I DON’T WANNA DIE!” Rodan hysterically cried, beating his wings to keep aloft in the air.

A short ways behind them, trees were trampled, branches cracking and being set on fire as the creature causing the ruckus passed through the forest.

“I’m going to get you three!” Gamera called, keeping up despite being absolutely ancient compared to the rest of them.

“Quick, in there!” Rodan pointed to a thicket of trees perfect for hiding them. The three kaiju all leaned against the enormous trunks, breathing heavily.

“Maybe we should split up…” Anguirus suggested. “He can’t go after all of us, right?”

“He can,” Dagon retorted, “It is _well_ within his capabilities to do that.”

“Well, maybe we should just fight.” Rodan proposed, standing tall. “Otherwise, he’s just gonna start picking us off one by-“

An arm burst through the wood, grabbing Rodan by the neck.

“ONE!” The Firebird screeched in fear, as he was suddenly pulled right through the wall of trees and thrown to the ground.

“Nobody! Touches! My! FRUIT!” Gamera bellowed, clawing his way through the trees, as Rodan scrambled to take flight yet again.

“We’re sorry, we’ll pay you back, man, how bout a nice Satsuma-“ Anguirus was cut off as Gamera grabbed him by the tail, spun him around, and threw him clear from the trees. “You don’t like oranges, okay, I get it, perfectly understandable!”

“RUN!” Dagon screamed, partly to himself, partly to the others as he took off again as fast as his feet could carry him. “FOR MOTHRA’S SAKE, RUN!”

“I’m running!” Rodan screamed in return.

“GUYS, WAIT FOR ME!” Anguirus cried as the figures of his friends melted into the distance. He heard a twig snap behind him, and he gulped, freezing up. “Please… Don’t hurt me.”

\---------

Dagon huffed and puffed as he ran. His body could handle short bursts of speed, anything longer, and he’d soon find his lungs feeling on fire.

He had to keep running, but he had to stop and take a breather.

So, he came to a slow stop. Unfortunately, as soon as his hand touched the tree, the thick foliage parted, revealing Gamera on the other side.

“Aw, crap.”

\---------

Rodan, meanwhile, was soaring high into the air, leaving the forest behind. Once he was certain Gamera wasn’t close enough to cause harm, he turned around and blinked.

The chase through the forest had left a blaze in its wake… in a rather _unfortunate_ shape.

Rodan blinked, looking down upon it. “Hey, isn’t that a-“

The flying kaiju suddenly saw stars as something hit him in the side of his head, sending him falling, careening to the ground in a mess.

“OW!” Rodan bellowed in pain, looking up.

Gamera was standing there. And he was _pissed._

“H-Hey, big guy.” Rodan laughed. “No hard feelings?”

\-------

Rodan sighed as he looked to Dagon, the three of them being put to work replanting the forest that had burned to a crisp during the chase. “Hey, Dagon?”

“What?”

“Next time Anguirus gets an idea, we tell him to shut the fuck up.”

\---------

The firebird slowly opened his eyes, the memory of that day fading fast like a dream. It had been… millennia since then. The world had changed.

He was the only one left, of the old guard. Dagon was… in the next life, and Anguirus was just… gone. Without a trace.

He couldn’t even find Gamera.

He was alone.

Rodan missed them, most days. He was the only one left from that time period, other than Mothra, and she didn’t count because she was always going to be a fixture of all time periods. Rodan, on the other hand…

He felt old. Ancient, even. A relic of a bygone age. Sure, he had a young spirit, but he wasn’t like he was back then. No.

“Hey, Rodan!” El called from the bottom of his volcano, forcing him to peek his head over the side to hear her better. “Godzilla’s gonna try flying with his breath again, wanna see?”

Rodan looked away, to the old carvings of his friends he had Mothra move to the island for him. And then, he turned back to El.

“Coming, kid!” Rodan answered, taking flight. “You tell him to actually pull his legs up so he doesn’t crash this time!”

Sure, the old guard was gone. That didn’t automatically mean the new guard was bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	56. Andrew 2.0, Part One

The rain came down in droves in a graveyard not far outside Boston. Up the old stone path, walked a figure in a rain poncho, carrying a shovel, wearing a facemask, with small, empty vials at their side. Walking to the far side of the deserted grounds, they sought out one gravestone separate from all the rest.

They drove the shovel into the muddy soil, and began to drudge it up, hitting the coffin at the bottom. Opening the lid, the figure had to hold back a disgusted gag, both from the smell, and from the knowledge of what they were doing.

The long-dead, decomposing corpse of a young boy was what the figure was met with. As fast as they could, they took what they could, and returned to the surface, returning the dirt to its proper place, before hightailing it back to their vehicle.

The door shut as she slammed back into the driver’s seat, and pulled back her hood.

Emma Russell closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to release the contents of her stomach, as she put her head against the wheel.

 _‘Deep breaths… deep breaths.’_ She repeated to herself ad nauseum until the nausea from seeing her dead son’s rotten corpse faded from her mind.

She was doing this _for_ him, for his memory. She had to keep strong until she succeeded. Madison had been turned into a giant monster, Mark was… well, they were on _better_ terms but not good ones…

Andrew, his memory, this project… he was all she had left.

With a deep, tired sigh, Emma turned the car on, and began the long drive back to Hawkins.

\--------

Getting back to the compound was easy, the only thing that really was an obstacle was Barnes being his usual inquisitive self, and even then, it was easy to throw him off the trail by saying there was some stuff in her old lab that she needed to get.

Not entirely untrue. There was some old documents and stuff she’d forgotten about after the big move, and even if there hadn’t been, the exact nature of her work was a mystery to the others, so all Emma had to do was slap a piece of duct tape on a box, scribble on it with a marker, and nobody would be the wiser.

Of course, there were parts of Emma that worried the others would figure out what she was doing and shun her for it, but another part pushed on.

It helped that none of them really entered her space. Nothing to set off alarm bells to the outside observer, no suspicious acts that they could see, nobody would figure it out until it was too late to stop her.

They had originally brought her on to be a doctor to Madzilla and Cyber-Godzilla. None of them knew that only _part_ of the reason she’d accepted was because of Madison.

No… Emma had a different target in her mind. Something far, far more... interesting.

After the occupation was done, a mad frenzy was started by the people of Earth in their attempts to reverse engineer the Xiliens’ technology. Everything from weapons, to transportation, to medicine, it was all catapulted forward by almost a thousand years. Of course, there was still the old forms of tech lying around. People still liked having physical cars for instance, even though with Xilien technology it was possible to make a car that would materialize around the driver from just pressing a button on a baton.

However, none of those even came close to the true crux of the Xilien technology. Computers… and more importantly, cybernetics. The Xiliens had made great leaps on that front that humanity had never even gotten close to. And Cyber-Godzilla was the living magnum opus for that technology.

A techno-organic lifeform. Sure, while his dorsal capacitors, leg braces, and the other obvious enhancements seemed like the only obvious technology he had installed, under the hood, Cyber-Godzilla was far more complex. A fusion of technology and biology on the cellular level.

And that, was exactly what Emma needed for her experiment. She wasn’t just fooling around with Xilien tech, she was applying it to achieve something no other human had done before. Artificial evolution, creating the next generation of human directly, in the here and now.

Physically perfect, forever in their prime, free of disease, aging… death. Human 2.0.

And it would start in _her_ lab.

\--------

Cyber-Godzilla watched as, for the third time in the past ten minutes, Bowser tried chasing around Mike, only to trip and faceplant, eating dirt.

His young yellow blinked in surprise, before stumbling back to his feet, going back to chasing around his green brother.

Cyber-Godzilla rumbled humorously, before turning to his counterpart, her hands full with the girls. Literally. Every single one of their female offspring had simultaneously decided they wanted to dogpile their mother.

Madzilla caught him looking, and frowned. _“What?”_

 _“Nothing, just…”_ He pointed with a small, warm smile. _“Motherhood suits you.”_

 _“Oh, well…”_ Madzilla shifted, looking bashful at the sudden, unexpected compliment. _“Thanks… you make a pretty good dad, I guess.”_

Cyber-Godzilla huffed. _“Course I do. Hell, I’m_ Godzilla, _I’d better be the best damn dad on the planet.”_ Something snapping caught his attention, and his head snapped to look at Steve and Dustin, the little blue monster trying to shove an uprooted tree in his brother’s mouth.

 _“Hey, hey!”_ Godzilla ran over, picking Steve up to pull the tree out. The grey hatchling coughed, before looking to his brother, snarling. _“No, no, we_ don’t _shove trees in each other’s throats!”_ He chided. _“Not unless it’s Kong.”_

Madzilla walked over to deal with them as well, before something caught her attention, and she leaned down to look at it. There, where the tree had been pulled up, there was a cable, untouched by the fight. That wasn’t any cause for concern in of itself, the power lines were buried anyway to make sure none of them ran into them and pulled them down, but this?

This was different. A new line, pulsing faintly with that same orange glow that all other Xilien technology had.

 _“What in the world…?”_ Madzilla mumbled, looking at it.

 _“Mama!”_ El cried, the little violet lizard trying to climb onto her mother’s head. _“Up! Up!”_

Madzilla sighed, giving her access, as she frowned. _“Goji, you see this?”_

 _“Hm?”_ Cyber-Godzilla turned to look stepping over Junior carefully. _“Hm… ah, it’s probably nothing.”_

 _“Nothing?”_ Madzilla turned to look at him demandingly. _“It could be dangerous, and you’re not worried?”_

 _“Mads, unless Xilien tech grows like plants, I don’t think we have anything to be worried about.”_ Cyber-Godzilla replied sardonically. _“Besides, it’s in the compound, and the tree was growing_ over _it, so it’s obviously been here a while. And it’s done nothing. See,”_ He kicked it, _“Just a-okay.”_

Madzilla sighed. _“Okay… whatever you say.”_

 _“Right,”_ Cyber-Godzilla nodded, turning to look at his children. _“All right you guys, who’s ready to play sumo!?”_

The kids chittered excitedly, and Madzilla sighed. She wouldn’t be able to stop them, but she would be able to shift the damage elsewhere.

\---------

In a second, concealed lab hidden under her main workspace, accessible only through a floor panel that only Emma knew, the woman worked on her secret project.

A vast assortment of smaller experiments from cell samples, to Xilien nanotech, to software coding, were organized methodically around the room, each one linked to the next via carefully scrawled notes. A prototype of her project, what basically amounted to a very high-tech humanoid robot, lay on a table, inert.

It wasn’t anything too impressive, in all honesty. It basically amounted to an animatronic skeleton with artificial organs. That had been what she was going for, at first, before she realized that it would be grossly inadequate to contain her vision.

But now, here she stood, on the cusp of her great invention. Five years of careful research, of meticulous planning, and of stealthy skimming what nanotech she could get. It had been her nightmare, her persistent drive, getting it to all work together in a way that she wanted. In the days before the Xiliens, she wouldn’t have even _dreamed_ of entertaining such an idea, but now…

She had the technology, she had the drive… damned if anyone was going to stop her.

And so, Emma started with the body. Using what she had learned by observing Cyber-Godzilla’s cells, she used the DNA recovered from the body of her deceased son to grow new cells. That process took several hours, almost days, and during it all, Emma had to watch, but by the end of it, there it was.

Not a body, no, but a blob of cells floating in a tank. Alive, but not a living, breathing human being. Not yet. That was what the nanotech was for.

Thus, she gingerly removed the mass from the tank, placing it on a gurney in the center of the room, before jabbing it with a needle _full_ of the tiny machines, and the entire blob took on a slight grey tinge to it.

Using her terminal, Emma very, _very_ carefully instructed the machines to actually become one with the cells… and then, came the hardest part.

Instructing them to form a human. Very cleverly using the DNA to render a physical appearance, she set the nanomachines to copy that, molding and shaping the blob into an actual body. However, this would be no ordinary human.

His bones would be tougher than the hardest diamond, his lungs able to process anything that came his way, his body able to take in all forms of radiation and use it to fuel himself (an ability stolen without guilt from Godzilla)… able to heal faster than anyone else, and shoulder the strongest blows. A person that others would _dream_ of being.

The machines sent back a status update to her, and Emma swallowed. They were working on the brain now…

The woman took a deep breath, and hit the button to send over information packets. Not for the machines, but for the person they were constructing. Things like history, languages, information on social interactions… 

Everything a person would need to be a person.

Emma watched with bated breath as a man began to take shape out of the cells. In his late twenties or early thirties, an ideal build, with a strong, square jaw and sandy brown hair. Not so young that he looked like a child, but not so old that he was getting wrinkles or anything.

What Andrew would have looked like, had he survived to live to the present day.

Emma looked on as the nanomachines finished their work, a tight black suit growing over his skin, with small points of white light on it. That was a misnomer, for it wasn’t a suit, it was his top layer of skin, covering everything but his head. Even his toes were wrapped in the rubbery skin-armor.

The lines of white light that ran up his body glowed idly, showing that everything about his body was functioning at acceptable levels, while his unmarred face sat still. You could say that he was unconscious, but a more apt descriptor would be to say that he hadn’t been ‘born’ yet.

Emma bit her lip, tracing her hand over his face. She remembered that face, smaller, still somewhat babyish, and hairless in his final days. Now… he was a man, looking so much like his biological father, yet still like her.

She stopped herself as her hand went down to his sternum, and she had to remind herself. This wasn’t Andrew… It looked like him, would probably sound like him, maybe even act like him in some respects if personality was something dictated by genetics…

But it wasn’t him. Not yet. She had already programmed some memories, in order to make it seem like he’d survived the past few years but only never came home thanks to amnesia that he only just started to recover from, that way she could introduce him back to the others…

But first, she had to make sure he was operational.

Emma took a breath and pressed a finger to the small circle of light on his sternum, pressing it like a button.

Her creation spasmed, taking a deep breath, before he sat up on the table, taking deep, heavy breaths, looking around like a curious child.

He looked at her with wide, inquisitive eyes, and his jaw dropped. “…Mom?”

In that microsecond of an instant, everything she’d been drilling into herself since she started, that it wouldn’t be _Andrew,_ that it’d just be something walking around wearing his face, playing about at being him…

None of that meant a damn thing.

She could see it in his eyes. It was _him_. She didn’t know how that was possible, but… it was him.

Andrew coughed, his face twisting with discomfort. “Mom? I’m thirsty… and hungry… and-“ He coughed again, doubling over.

Emma was on him in an instant, following instincts she wasn’t sure she even _had_ anymore. She pressed a gentle hand to his back, helping him to his feet. “Here, Andrew, come on…” She murmured, keeping him steady. “We’ll get you something to help. I promise.”

Her reborn son nodded, letting her guide him along, out into the compound, towards the cafeteria.

She should’ve just left him there… but the last thing she wanted was to leave him again.

\---------

Mark had just been getting some food, trying to eat in peace when it happened. His ex-wife and a man walked through the door. That shouldn’t have been cause for ire in itself, they were still split, she could date whoever she damn well pleased.

But when that man had the face of a very, very, _certifiably_ dead son...

All Mark could do was vocalize his thoughts.

“Emma… What did you _do!?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/)


	57. Andrew 2.0, Part Two

There’s something _wrong_ about the way Andrew 2.0 moves. It’s too… graceful, too fluid, too calculated. He moves with a discipline and awareness far beyond that of any normal human.

Every time he picks up an object to study or play around with, he moves with far too much precision, like he knows _exactly_ how much he has to move. No other human has that. That kind of… calculating accuracy.

That, however, is just the _tip_ of the iceberg.

\-----------

“What the _hell_ were you thinking!?” Mark demanded as soon as the… _thing_ that looked like his son was out of earshot. “Cloning plants is one thing, but this!?” He furiously gestured.

Emma remained silent for a few moments, not looking at him as she remained seated in her chair. “He’s not a clone. Not fully. He’s a very sophisticated mix of living cells and nanotechnology.

“Damnit, don’t go ‘neutral scientist’ on me!” Mark almost roared. “Answer me! _Tell me_ what you did!”

“What I _did_ , was make a miracle!” Emma finally snapped, looking at him. “Look at him, out there!” She pointed vehemently. “He’s walking around, talking, _alive!_ Our son is _alive,_ Mark, and what you’re concerned about is what I was thinking!? I thought you, of all people, would understand!”

“I do.” Mark hissed, leaning forward. “But that… _thing_ out there is _not_ our son.” He pointed, as Andrew 2.0 picked up an apple, taking a curious bite out of it. The technorganic’s status lights pulsed with delight, and he went to go take another bite, devouring the apple happily.

“You’re wrong.” Emma shot back.

“It’s a bunch of circuits and flesh that thinks it’s Andrew!” Mark furiously retorted.

“He’s our _son!”_ Emma insisted. “The moment I brought him online, you know what he called me? Not Doctor Russell, not Emma, _mom_. He shouldn’t have been able to do that, but he _did_. He _recognized_ me, Mark, and he recognizes you! That’s not a machine, it’s _him_!”

“The damn thing’s looking at apples and oranges like it doesn’t know what they are!” Mark growled, practically flipping his tie as he pointed at the… he wasn’t a man, was he? What do you call something that was bonded with technology on the cellular level and didn’t have genitalia? “Look at that! You look at that, and tell me that he remembers!”

Emma frowned as she looked at her son’s curious examination of the food. Indeed, he seemed to understand what the objects were in _theory,_ but not truly until he encountered them himself.

“…bringing a spirit back from death has never been done.” Emma countered. “We can’t say for certain what could be considered normal. People, memories, things, whatever that the spirit placed a great value on in life… The stronger the attachment, the more likely the spirit is to remember.”

“Spirits!?” Mark incredulously shook his head. “You’re a scientist, and you’re going on about _spirits!?_ Never mind that, it’s just blind guessing you’re making at this point!”

“That’s what all science is, Mark!” Emma poked him. “Guesses that turn out to be correct thanks to testing!”

“This isn’t a hypothesis you can just test!” Mark retorted. “You’re messing with things we don’t understand and shouldn’t be able to control!”

“Shouldn’t!?” Emma put her hands on her hips. _“Shouldn’t!?_ Why _shouldn’t_ we tinker with this? Why _shouldn’t_ we use it to it’s fullest? Why _shouldn’t_ we be able to stop a million more just like Andrew from dying!?”

“It’s not _right!”_ Mark insisted.

“Then _TELL ME!”_ Emma roared. _“Tell me_ why it’s not _‘right!’”_

Mark took a breath, glowering at her. “Death… is part of this universe for a _reason_. You grant everybody immortality, and suddenly, you don’t have a species anymore, you have a _plague_. Sucking everything out of the land, reproducing forever… There’ll be so many people, they’ll be packed against each other in the streets like sardines. Oh, and say goodbye to the entirety of the medical professions and industries! Cause if nobody’s dying or getting sick, what use is for them anymore? And… I don’t know, what if the next Hitler or Genghis Khan comes along and decides to make his new empire and sit on his throne for all eternity, something he could _very_ well do since _you’ve_ given him immortality?”

Emma looked at him tersely. “Those are _very_ nice prophecies. But unless you can give me real, _solid **proof**_ telling me why this isn’t a good idea, you can shove it.”

Mark bit his tongue, holding up an angry finger. “Fine, proof. You want proof? I’ll get you your damn proof.” He growled, turning to storm out, almost shoving past Andrew.

Andrew looked up from his lemon, tilting his head at the exiting man, before looking to his mother. “What’s up with that guy?”

Emma looked to her ex-husband’s retreating form, scowling imperceptibly. “He’s just a damn luddite.” She looked back to Andrew. “Come on. I want to show you around.”

Andrew slowly nodded, following his mother. “…what is a ‘Ludd-ite?’”

\----------

“Sturges!” Mark addressed, storming into his and Rick’s workspace.

The Texan man spun around in his seat, raising his goggles. “Well, hell, if it ain’t the grumpiest man on the planet! What brings you ‘round to our corner of the globe, Doc?”

Mark sighed, looking at him pleadingly. “I need your help. Emma’s gone and lost her _goddamned_ mind, and she’s not listening to reason.”

“Oh yeah,” Rick sardonically chewed on his gum, “What’d she do now? Eat your lunch out of the fridge just to spite you again?”

Mark looked right back at him with dripping sarcasm. “She used Xilien nanotechnology to bring our son back from the dead and is thinking about applying it to everyone on the planet.”

Rick blinked falling silent.

“Damn son,” Sturges chuckled, despite the fact that Mark was older than him by a good ten years, “When your family gets roped into drama, you _really_ don’t do it half-assed, do ya?”

Mark looked at him, glaring.

“Wait… you were _serious_?” Sturges straightened up. “God _damn_. I have two questions: _Why and **how?**_ ”’

Mark sighed, rubbing his face. “It must’ve been about… Madison’s thirty-something now? twenty years ago, Jesus…” He breathed, sitting down. “Our son, Andrew… he passed away from Leukemia.”

“Aw, shit man.” Rick patted him on the back, “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it… I made my peace.” Mark weakly whispered. “But Emma… something like that changes you. It changed her. Back in those days she was a biologist, making all sorts of experimental stuff for hospitals in the like. But after Andrew died… she threw herself into her work. It was like nothing else mattered. Certainly not me… not even Madison. She was going to be the woman who cured death, damn anybody standing in her way.” He exhaled, shaking his head in stunned disbelief. “I thought after all this time she’d been able to move on, but now…”

“You see that she’s still just as torn up as she was when it happened.” Sturges finished, uncharacteristically solemn.

Mark nodded. “And now, there’s a… _thing_ wearing the face of my dead son walking around! Emma’s very own Frankenstein’s Monster! And she’s _perfectly_ okay with it! It’s made with Xilien nanotech, she said as much herself! What if it snaps one day and kills us all for no good reason!?”

“Mark,” Rick stood up, patting him on the shoulders, “Buddy. I get that it’s a pretty scary technological leap, but your son’s _back_ from the _dead_. Aren’t you happy?”

Mark glowered at him. “I told you, it’s not my son… and even if it was, sometimes… dead is better.”

“So, why’d you come here?” Sturges crossed his arms. “Hope you understand, I’m not the killin’ type. Not unless I’m killin’ a two-liter, heyo!”

Mark glared at him. “Sturges…”

“Serious business, right, right. Sorry.” Sturges coughed. “Seriously, though, I ain’t killing the kid, even if he is chock full of circuits and whatnot.”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Mark rhetorically asked. “It’s not a kid. She made it to look like he would if he was in his twenties.”

“Oh, yeah, cause that’s not creepy at all.” Rick muttered. “Hopefully, she didn’t cram the collected tales of Oedipus into his head.”

_“Rick!”_

“I’m just saying!” Rick held his hands up. He blinked, dropping them. “Actually, that’s a good question. If he’s a robot, does he have all the… parts required for the ol’ horizontal tango?”

“I don’t _know,_ Rick,” Mark looked at him, completely and utterly tired, “And as such, I’m not entirely keen to find out.” He sighed, looking to Sturges. “Look, I don’t like the thing walking around, but right now, what _I’m_ concerned with is making sure Emma doesn’t get the bright idea to slip those nanobots into the water supply or the air and make everybody functionally immortal.”

“Why not?” Rick asked through a mouthful of gum. “Immortality’s cool, dude.”

“Well, that’s what I need you to prove _otherwise_.” Mark replied. “It’s not gonna be cool when the entire _ecosystem_ collapses because people aren’t dying.”

“What makes you think that?” Sturges asked.

“It doesn’t take a genius.” Mark retorted. “ _Millions_ of people are being born, and just as many die, every second. It’s what keeps up _some_ semblance of population stability. But what happens if you get don’t get rid of some people?” He posed to them, and they were unable to answer. “Exactly! It’s a forever-increasing population, and I don’t need to tell you that the planet is _not_ capable of sustaining that!”

“Oooh, I get it.” Sturges flopped down in his seat. “You want us to run a very complex, very interesting simulation to prove you right.”

“That obvious?” Mark asked.

Sturges shrugged. “Yeah, kinda.”

Mark nodded. “Then yeah… a simulation.”

“Well, don’t worry your pretty little head, Doc!” Sturges stood up, ushering him out the door. “We’ll get _right_ on that!”

“Hey, wait, what’re you-“

“Don’t mess with programmers while they’re programming!” Sturges shot back, locking the door behind Mark after shutting him out. He turned around, looking to Rick. “Ready, Boss?”

Rick nodded seriously, entirely too much for just programming. “Sturges?” He fastened a set of unnecessary goggles. “Turn up the techno music.”

\-------------

Another thing that’s subtly wrong about Andrew 2.0 is how he constantly seems to be on his guard for no reason. Emma didn’t program that into him, she did code some rudimentary self-preservation instincts and some combat protocols, yes, but nothing to make him actively survey the landscape looking for threats.

Soon… Emma would find out why.

Their tour of the compound took them to the gym, filled with all sorts of weights, workout equipment, and so forth.

Andrew frowned as he picked up a _fifty-pound weight_ as easily as someone would pick up a handbag, looking at it curiously.

“Mother,” He looked to her, still wearing that curious frown, “I don’t understand… what is this object?”

“It’s a-“ Emma stuttered at just how nonplussed he seemed by the weight. “It’s a weight. People work out with them to build muscle.”

Andrew’s brow furrowed, before he suddenly let out an ‘ah.’ “Physical training to improve the body’s upper capacity for strength, I understand.” He walked around, looking at each piece of equipment. “A device meant to improve running…” He commented, guessing at the treadmill’s function. “Meant to improve cardio via simulating stair climbs…” He noted a stairclimber machine, “Full body exercise…” He supposed, looking at the rowing machine.

He came to a stop however, at the robotic skeleton standing at the center of what looked like a wrestling ring. Andrew tilted his head curiously. “What’s the purpose of this device?”

“It’s one of Sturges’s.” Emma answered, crossing her arms as she looked at the inert robot. “It’s a sparring robot. Designed for when people want to box, or wrestle, or something along those lines, when there’s no other human opponent.”

Andrew tilted his head. “Ah. Sparring. A form of practice common to many sports or training exercises.” He looked to her. “May I?”

Emma blinked, looking between her son and the robot. “You want to _spar_ with it?”

Andrew looked inquiring. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No, it’s just-“ Emma held up her hands, “I just didn’t expect you to want to get into it so soon.” She walked over to a panel on the wall. “Go ahead and jump in the ring, I’ll get the program started.”

Andrew nodded, following her instructions perhaps a _bit_ too literally, jumping clear over the three rubber ropes into the arena.

As he landed, Emma hit the button, and the opponent robot sprung to life, moving in a jittering manner, humming with electricity.

The metal skeleton moved, as it pulled the pole it was attached to out of the ground, spinning it around like a staff.

Emma watched, curious, and her eyebrows shot up as Andrew’s hand moved to a long, rectangular device attached to his outer thigh.

She did _not_ remember programming that in. What’s more, he seemed to have two of them. He brought the two batons together, joining them, causing two long, white metal rods to extend out of both ends, into a staff.

 _‘He’s making weapons_ on the fly…’ Emma realized, awestruck at the sheer speed with which her creation was developing, and that was _before_ the fight began.

The more mechanical robot struck first, shooting forward with a swipe meant to strike Andrew in the legs, knocking him off his feet. The living science experiment reacted at speeds faster than any other human could, and leapt into the air, so high that he brushed the ceiling.

As Andrew landed, he swung his own staff, knocking the robot’s staff clean out of its hand. As the sparring dummy adapted to another method of attack, Andrew reached to his back, and pulled something off a dock that was _certainly_ not there before.

It was a small disc weapon, about the size of a normal plate, with a serrated edge seemingly made of pure light, and so visibly hot that the air around it rippled from the heatwaves.

Yet, Andrew himself didn’t seemed harmed by it.

 _‘Perhaps his body’s generating a natural field to protect him against it?’_ Emma theorized to herself, as Andrew knocked the robot off-balance, before plunging the disc weapon clean through its neck.

Emma blinked as Andrew stood back up to his full height, returning the weapon to his back, where it appeared to have a permanent place, before he retracted his staff, returning the components to the magnetic holders on his thighs.

Andrew turned, and his eyebrows shot up, seemingly noting his mother’s surprised expression. “I’m sorry, have I done something wrong?”

“No!” Emma quickly responded, leaning on the ropes. “That was… Jesus, Andrew, that was amazing! How did you _do_ that!?” She excitedly questioned.

“I…” Andrew cluelessly blinked. “I simply… knew what to do.”

“That would be your combat protocols, but I’m talking about those weapons!” Emma elaborated. “Where did you _get_ those!?”

Andrew ineffectually shrugged. “I… simply _thought_ of what I would need for the situation, and they appeared.”

“Incredible…” Emma breathed, carefully poking the disc weapon. It, like the rods on his sides, seemed to be made of metal, _not_ the thick, rubbery skin that encapsulated him. “The nanomachines in your body appear to have self-adapted their repair functions to form into viable weapons… amazing.”

Andrew looked at her, curiously tilting his head. “Did I… do good?”

Emma smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Yes, Andrew. You did _wonderfully._ ” She threw an arm around his shoulders, beginning to lead him out. “You… are going to change the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/), yar!


	58. Andrew 2.0, Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You might be wondering why I'm focusing so heavily on Cyber-Godzilla's world, well...
> 
> Let's just say, when Gojira returns, it's going to be more 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' than 'Infinity Gauntlet.'

“Alright,” Emma turned around to face Andrew, standing at the threshold of the entrance to her lab. “I’ve got some work to finish up in here. It’ll take me a while. Why don’t you go find Madison and Godzilla?”

Andrew tilted his head. “Madison?”

Emma smiled slightly. “Yes, she’s… well, you’ll see. Godzilla’s her husband.”

“I see.” Andrew blinked. “How do I find them?”

“Just walk to the opposite end of the lake, you can’t miss them.” Emma replied, turning around to go back inside. “Oh, and don’t worry about the people-sized lizards walking around that look like they can rip out teeth. They’re harmless, really.”

Andrew recoiled minutely, shocked, furrowing his brow. “People-sized lizards?”

“You’ll see.” Emma enigmatically replied, going in.

Andrew stood there for a moment, before finally deciding to himself to follow his mother’s instructions, walking to go to the other side of the lake.

\-----------

In truth, Emma already has no idea what she’s created anymore.

What she just saw him do, create entirely new weapons at the drop of the hat to deal with the situation, shouldn’t be _possible._ That kind of intuition and dexterity shouldn’t be possible for _any_ machine… but, this wasn’t just a mere machine.

Emma swallowed to herself, pulling up the telemetry from Andrew’s body on her console, and she went cold.

The nanomachines within his cells are no longer following their standard programming. There should be a limit to what they can do, yet they’ve already started replicating and upgrading themselves _past_ that limit to become more efficient, better mechanisms for Andrew. Whole new weapons generated at a moment’s notice is just the beginning.

It shouldn’t be possible, but it’s _happening._

She had to send the abort order. Not the kill command, god no, but the instruction to get the nanomachines to stop whatever it is they think they’re doing.

They refuse.

They shouldn’t even be _able_ to refuse. They get more efficient in higher numbers, but not intelligent.

Yet, something tells Emma these aren’t the nanomachines she modified anymore.

It’s totally beyond her now. Unpredictable in every conceivable way. He hasn’t given her a reason to distrust him, yet, but still… Andrew’s quite possibly the most powerful human who’s ever lived now.

And she just unleashed him out into the wild.

\------------

 _“Alright, Wrex, can you say ‘mama?’”_ Madzilla baby-talked the little one, smiling.

The red youngling blinked, silently tilting her head.

 _“Come on,”_ She cooed, _“Say ‘mama.’ ‘Mama…’”_

Wrex opened her mouth slowly, before letting out a loud burp, her mouth sparking with blue embers.

Madzilla sighed, looking to her husband. _“Goji, I think we have a problem.”_

 _“If it’s about Minya, don’t worry, I know exactly where he is!”_ Cyber-Godzilla pointed back in response, causing the female to double take.

 _“M-Minya!?”_ Madzilla repeated. _“Where’s he got to_ now _!?”_

 _“I don’t know,”_ Cyber-Godzilla instinctively replied, his eyes going wide at his own statement. _“I-I mean I don’t know_ now, _but I_ did _, and don’t worry, cause I’m already tracking him- hey, who’s that?”_

Madzilla scowled. _“Don’t you try and change the subject!”_

 _“I’m not.”_ Cyber-Godzilla pointed to the ground behind her. _“Seriously, who’s that guy?”_

Madzilla scowled, deciding to turn around if only to humor her husband to shut him up and get him back on track. When she did, however, she stopped, freezing.

Down there, seemingly wandering without cause, was a man who had the face of her brother… her _dead_ brother.

 _“No…_ ” Madzilla breathed, utterly and completely shocked, paralyzed, and dumbstruck. _“No way…_ Andrew?”

He slowly approached, looking around, awed at the human-sized offspring running around him, chittering excitedly at the new face, before he came to a stop, looking up at the building-sized lizards towering above him.

“Indeed… hello.” Andrew awkwardly waved, awestruck. “You are… massive.”

Cyber-Godzilla snorted. _“Hey, buddy, rule one, don’t tell a woman she looks massive.”_

 _“Goji, shut up for a second!”_ Madzilla hissed, bending down to look at him. _“Andrew…”_

He blinked, tilting his head. “Yes… that is my name. I assume you’re… Madison?”

Madzilla blinked. _“Yeah, you don’t… you don’t remember me?”_

Andrew furrowed his brow. “I’m afraid not… should I?”

 _“Um… I’m… uh… well, I’m your sister.”_ Madzilla told him quietly.

“My… sister.” He repeated, glancing away to stare off into space. “A sibling, either younger or older, typically female.”

 _“You don’t remember me…”_ Madzilla repeated, sounding worlds away. _“Is there something wrong with you?”_

Andrew blinked, shaking his head. “My systems are functioning at optimal efficiency.”

_“That’s not what I-“_

_“Mads,”_ Cyber-Godzilla gently grabbed her attention. _“Why don’t you ask him what he_ does _remember?”_

 _“…yeah, okay.”_ Madzilla swallowed, turning to face Andrew properly. _“What_ do _you remember?”_

Andrew furrowed his brow in recollection. “I remember waking up on an operating table, being shown around this compound, being told to meet you… before that, nothing.”

 _“…oh…”_ Madzilla swallowed. _“Well, I’m Madison. I am, or…_ was _your sister.”_ She turned to Cyber-Godzilla, _“This is Godzilla, he’s my husband.”_

_“Yo.”_

Andrew nodded slowly.

 _“And these…”_ She sighed, gesturing down to the fifty-nine little monsters gathering around curiously, each one a different color. _“Are our children.”_

“Wow.” Andrew’s brow shot up. “These are… quite a lot.”

 _“Yep,”_ Cyber-Godzilla rumbled, _“Sixty in total… wait, shit, Minya’s still not here.”_

Madzilla let out a long-suffering sigh. _“Of course he isn’t…”_ She looked to Andrew. _“I know we just met again and all, but could you go look for Minya? He’s the little grey one, shouldn’t have wandered too far from here. We would go and look for him ourselves, but-“_

 _“The kids get antsy whenever we even get out of eyesight.”_ Cyber-Godzilla finished.

Andrew stood there for a moment, considering it. He did just meet them, he was well within his right to refuse, and it was their fault the child was missing to begin with…

But he wanted to help. He almost felt _compelled_ to.

“Yes, ma’am.” Andrew offered a quick salute.

 _“Thanks.”_ Madzilla smiled. _“He should be around here somewhere. I’d try the woods first, he loves sneaking off to go play in there.”_

“Got it.” Andrew pivoted around, proceeding into the dense foliage.

Madzilla watched as he disappeared into the thicket, and sighed, almost flopping down.

 _“You alright?”_ Cyber-Godzilla murmured.

 _“Yeah, I’m fine…”_ Madzilla swallowed. _“…How is he even_ back _?”_

 _“I don’t know…”_ He mumbled thoughtfully. _“…call it a hunch, but you should probably talk to your mother.”_

Maddie looked to Emma’s lab, and frowned.

She didn’t know whether to be happy or angry.

\------------

Andrew walked through the woods carefully, intently surveying his surroundings. If Minya was out there, he’d be able to pick out the child from the foliage in a nanosecond.

It made himself curious, truthfully, as to why he felt the drive to help people he only just met, but doing this, even just finding a rowdy kid… it felt _right_ somehow. Helping felt right.

He heard something snap, and Andrew stopped, his head tilting quickly to the source and then he could see it.

A creature fitting the description of Minya… as well as a team of unidentified humans, far in the distance. The Godzilla offspring was trying to fight back against them, to no avail, as they hit him with stun weaponry of some sort.

Andrew’s eyes focused, and they narrowed. Those people, whoever they were, were interfering with his mission.

No good.

The strange third-party drug Minya’s unconscious body into the back of a large, armored vehicle, piling in, before trying to speed away.

Andrew felt something hot and fierce spreading through his body, as his status lights flickered red.

He would _not_ allow them to get away.

With his eyes locked on the fleeing transport, Andrew broke into a sprint after it, running faster than anyone had ever run before, so fast that although the vehicle was maintaining its distance, he could keep up.

Once it got out of these woods onto a proper road, however… it was sure to gain speed against him.

The vehicle’s six wheels independently bounced, effortlessly running over trees in its rush to get away. As Andrew pursued, he leapt over the fallen trunks, swinging instinctively off branches of the still standing trees to keep up his momentum.

As he ran, he felt a series of questions run through him. Who were those people? How did they have weapons seemingly specialized to incapacitating Minya? And what did they want the child for?

Those questions were all pushed away, for the moment. He needed to focus on Minya.

Grabbing one of the rods off his thigh, he aimed the end of the device towards the armored transport and pressed the button on the top. Instead of turning into a staff, the rod fired out a grappling mechanism, like a large magnet, that stuck to the back of the transport, attached to what appeared to be aircraft cable running back to the rod.

Andrew grasped it tightly, and jumped as high as he could, pressing the button again to reel himself in. As high in the air as he was, it yanked him back down towards the vehicle, and he landed on the roof, placing the rod back at his side.

Falling flat, Andrew felt around the ceiling of the transport for any means of access, perhaps a hatch or even a seam that he could pull open. But the vehicle was just too well-built. The entire thing was flat and attempting to punch it as hard as he could didn’t even _dent_ it.

Andrew hummed to himself, laying flat on the roof. Wherever this vehicle was traveling to… he’d be ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/), yar!


	59. Andrew 2.0, Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re enjoying this, please do leave a comment or a kudos. I can’t even _begin_ to tell you how much it helps.

It was a long ride of several hours before the intruders’ (that’s what Andrew’s calling them now, because while he didn’t know who they were exactly, he did know that they didn’t belong in the compound) vehicle reached its destination. A compound, concealed in a mountain range, off a winding road that was supposedly closed.

Once the vehicle passed through a thick blast door covering the exit of a tunnel, it entered a small motorpool, coming to a stop, and that was when Andrew took his chance.

Waiting for the doors to open, Andrew dropped down, his disc already ignited, and wasted no time in dispatching the soldiers.

The unprepared humans could only yelp in shock as they realized he was there, before he moved towards taking them out.

Andrew moved like fluid, swift and adaptive, taking in the environment around him and changing himself to suit it. He used the soldiers’ own movement to his advantage, dodging fist strikes and taking the opening to lob off their limbs.

In all, it only took a few seconds, but before he took care of the final soldier, she pressed a button near the entrance door, and a klaxon sounded, blaring loudly.

Andrew plunged the disc through her neck, before pulling it back, letting it fall to his side. Looking around to make sure the soldiers were done for, he moved to the back of the transport, looking inside.

Minya was awake, alert, and very obviously scared, moving away from him.

“Hello there…” Andrew slowly approached, holding his hands up. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. My name is Andrew.”

Minya tried to open his mouth, only to receive an unpleasant shock from a collar around his neck.

Andrew stopped. “Did they force that on you? Those… _barbarians_.” He growled, status lights flickering red for a moment. “Don’t worry,” He continued his approach, slowly, “I can get it off, but you need to remain still.”

Minya looked wary, but tried to relax, as Andrew approached. The little (well, relative to his parents in any case) grey lizard tensed as Andrew approached, his spines flickering dimly with fear.

Andrew, very carefully, brought up his disc, looking at it carefully. He’d need a tool that was more precise. He switched the disc off, the serrated blade of superheated gas disappearing, before returning it to his back.

He reached for the rod on his thigh, thinking carefully about what tool he could use to get the collar off. Peering at it, Andrew examined it carefully, before noticing that the lock was electronic, a keypad-based mechanism. If he could deliver an electric shock powerful enough directly to the circuit board…

And so, Andrew got an idea. “This might hurt,” He warned, placing the end of the rod against the keypad, “But it’ll be only for a moment.”

Minya swallowed, and Andrew pressed the button. The collar sparked, before it suddenly opened, falling to the ground. The infantile kaiju twisted around experimentally, before opening his mouth wide….

And he licked Andrew right across his face.

The technorganic blinked, wiping away the spot. “I… see. Thank you.” He looked back to the door. “Come. Let’s get out of this place.”

Andrew took the lead, jumping out of the back of the transport, walking across to the door. He frowned, tapping his foot, before trying to force it open with his hands. The door creaked, but didn’t give way, causing Andrew to step back.

A quiet roar caught his attention, and Andrew looked to Minya, who was standing at the panel where the last soldier had attempted to go to. Andrew walked over, and his eyebrows shot up, seeing that it was a door control.

“Hm.” Andrew reached his gloved hand out to the button marked ‘open,’ only for the console to beep. He tried again, to be met with the same result. He examined the other buttons, to see one marked ‘lockdown’ glowing. It had been pressed.

Andrew took a breath, going back for the rod, attempting to apply it in the same way. Only this time, when the door panel sparked and died, the thing he was attempting to unlock didn’t open.

Minya looked at him, growling curiously, poking at the weapon on Andrew’s back with his snout.

Andrew removed the disc, and activated it, feeling the edge passing through him harmlessly. “It’s a plasma weapon,” He explained to the young one. “It might possibly melt through the metal…” He leaned an ear up to the door, banging it with his empty hand. “But it is too thick.” He returned the disc to his back, turning to face his temporary charge. “We will have to find some other method of getting out.” He frowned in thought, his eyebrows furrowing. “A place such as this can’t possibly be limited to one entrance or exit. There must be others.”

Minya nodded excitedly in understanding and crooned his head over to a door across the motorpool.

“Then we’ll go that direction.” Andrew resolved, readying his disc yet again. “Stay behind me, little one. I’ll get you home soon.”

\------------

In the secluded, partitioned-off command center of the base, the man in charge watched, displeasured, as he viewed the walking science experiment and the baby kaiju running through the corridors.

“…I thought you said the capture crew reported full success,” Alan Jonah quite calmly, dissonantly so, of one of the radio controllers, “They hadn’t been spotted.”

“W-Well,” The bespectacled man stammered, “That’s what they said. You know, they could’ve been mistaken.”

Jonah gritted his teeth frustratedly, looking to the security screen, as the intruder mowed through everything sent to slow them down. “We’ll have to step up our schedule.” He sat down in a chair in front of a camera, “Salvage what we can from this.”

“S-Sir, the only reason we took the kid was for leverage, we won’t have that now with them running all over the place!” Another person said.

“We don’t,” Jonah turned to her, with a stern, serious look on his face, “But it’s not like _they_ know the kid is loose.” He straightened his shirt. “Get ready to transmit, direct it to the Hawkins Conservation Effort.”

The technicians soberingly nodded, doing as he said, getting lights and the camera ready. The red light began to blink, and one of the techs nodded. “We’re ready, sir.”

“Hello, my name is Alan Jonah.” Jonah began, clearing his throat. “I’m certain you’ve noticed by now, but one of the offspring of your… Adam and Eve of monsters is missing. Rest assured, he is safe in our custody… for now.”

“Sir, we’re getting a response,” One of them whispered from behind the camera, “They’re asking what we want.”

“What I want,” Jonah shifted forward, “Is for you and your merry little band of monsters to stay _out_ of our way. We’re on the verge of something _big_ you see, and I can’t have the past fifteen years of work squandered because of your odd couple. If you interfere, the child will not be harmed, and after our ‘test’ is done, we will return him to you, unharmed. But if you _do_ interfere… I cannot speak for the consequences. I hope you make the correct decision.” Jonah made a cutting gesture, the technicians went to cut out the feed, and he stood up. “What are they doing?”

“As of right now, sir…” One of them looked up to him. “Nothing.”

“Excellent.” Jonah smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. “First rule of negotiating, do not let the enemy know when you’re at a disadvantage.”

\----------

“Son of a _bitch!”_ Mark cursed, slamming his hand on the console. “What’re we supposed to tell them!?” He asked, looking to the others in the room. “Their kid’s being held by a terrorist with a god complex!?”

“Mark,” Vivienne gestured, “Try to keep calm-“

“I can’t keep calm!” Mark retorted furiously. “It’s not just their kid, it’s my grandkid!”

“Mark,” Emma spoke up, crossing her arms, “I understand your stress, but think about it like this. Minya’s in the safest place on the planet right now.”

Mark double-took. “Excuse me!? How can you say that!?”

“Because,” Emma held up her smartphone, tapping the screen twice to turn it on, showing a map of the world. “All of their children were chipped, remember?” She tapped it, showing Minya’s location. “And Andrew has a tracking program…” She tapped it again, causing a blue dot to appear right over Minya’s dot.

“ANDREW!?” Mark bellowed. “You sent that… _thing_ in after him!?”

“I didn’t _send_ Andrew anywhere.” Emma cooly replied, putting the phone away. “He may be my creation, but that doesn’t mean I control him. He has a will and spirit of his own.”

“You know, I’m having it up to _here_ with your pseudo-spiritual bullshit-“ Mark began to furiously point.

“BOTH OF YOU, QUIET!” Vivienne snapped, shouting at the top of her lungs. The room fell silent, and she looked to them, inquiring. “Who’s Andrew?”

\-----------

Andrew frustratedly huffed to himself as he looked around, trying to get to the exit. This entire _place_ was a maze, none of it made any sense. It’s like the whole thing was designed to just confuse potential intruders, moving around exits, bathrooms, rooms of importance, and so on to keep a wanderer disoriented.

Andrew bit his lip as he found a door, the labeling on it marking it as a hangar. Suddenly, he felt his luck turning around. Hangar meant vehicles, which meant some way to get them out, which meant that there was a door to the outside.

He looked to Minya, and the little lizard looked back, tilting his head, chittering.

“Don’t worry, little one.” Andrew murmured to him. “We’re almost out of here, and then we can get you back to your mom and dad.”

Minya nodded in seeming understanding, as Andrew went for the door. What he expected was not at _all_ what he received. It was a hangar, alright, but there was only one vehicle inside.

One… enormous vehicle, the size of a skyscraper. The hangar just barely large enough to accommodate it.

Andrew felt his jaw slowly drop as he looked at it.

The thing was an enormous robot, possessing visibly thick armor, and several points where it was obvious weapons were being stored. However, that wasn’t the most frightening part. The entire thing looked like a robotic recreation of Godzilla. It obviously wasn’t identical, but the capacitors running down its back, glowing a hostile, bloody red, and the overall silhouette of the technological terror gave it away.

“Whoa…” Andrew breathed, looking up at the mechanical titan.

 _“All personnel, clear the hangar floor.”_ A voice announced over the speakers. _“MechaGodzilla is cleared for launch. I repeat, MechaGodzilla is cleared for launch. All personnel evacuate hangar bay and prepare for activation procedures.”_

The floor suddenly shook, beginning to move, as it looked like the walls were moving down. Andrew quickly realized, as the ceiling opened, that the walls weren’t being pulled down, the floor of the hangar was one enormous elevator, moving them up.

Minya looked to his rescuer, nervously clicking.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost outside.” Andrew tried to focus on the more _successful_ part of the mission, as opposed to what was sure to be the looming death posed by the robotic replica of the child’s father.

The elevator shook as it came to a stop, the device as well as MechaGodzilla being concealed only due to the mountains surrounding them.

A loud clicking, like a switch being flipped, echoed from MechaGodzilla, as the sound of a generator whirring to life reverberated throughout the valley of the mountains.

MechaGodzilla’s eyes sparked to life, glowing red, as several points on its body hissed, spitting out steam.

The technological abomination let out a deep, mechanical roar. Andrew, looking back on it, could only describe the sound as a laser charging up, so powerfully that it rippled the air and distorted itself with its own energy, backed by something vaguely lifelike, a cheap imitation. The sound vibrated his very bones, and was so deep that he thought he could feel his organs shaking like jelly with the intensity. A sound designed to shake organic beings right to their very core.

And it had worked, for Minya let out a terrified little whimper, trying to hide himself behind his rescuer, as MechaGodzilla began to stomp forward, course set for destinations unknown.

Andrew bit his lip as he looked at the shrinking mechanical mountain.

He still had no idea who these people were, or what they were planning, but if kidnapping a child and then threatening to kill it to keep the parents from getting involved with their plans was their standard modus operandi, then MechaGodzilla meant _nothing_ good.

That thing had to be stopped, before it could cause any significant damage…

And Andrew knew that _he_ had to be the one to stop it. It would be far, far too long before either one of the eldest Godzillas arrive. By the time they did so, it’d be too late to save the people in harm’s way.

As MechaGodzilla marched towards a city in the distance, Andrew felt an almost righteous sort of indignation spread throughout him. He would _not_ let innocent people die thanks to his inaction. MechaGodzilla had to be stopped, here and now.

He turned to Minya, looking the lizard mutant in the eyes. “Listen, I need you to run into the woods, as far as you can.”

Minya tilted his head, inquisitively gurgling.

“I’m going to fight that thing, and I need to make sure you’re not in the way.” Andrew elaborated. “Run as far into the woods as you can get, hide in a bush, burrow into the ground, whatever you have to do. I’ll find you after I get done.”

Minya frowned, looking like he was about to tear up.

“Go, little one.” Andrew instructed, patting Minya gently on the arms. “I’ll be back for you in just a moment.”

Minya slowly nodded, turning around, before sprinting into the woods.

Andrew turned back to face MechaGodzilla, and took in a deep breath, before a helmet made of a smooth, metal like-substance folded over his head, with two glowing white eyes, looking almost similar to the overall look of a stereotypical grey alien, with a black metal ‘fin’ coming out of the top of the helmet.

Taking a running start, Andrew sprung into the air, jumping higher than he ever had before. However, he didn’t come back down, he sailed higher and higher, up to the level where most helicopters flew.

And then, unnoticed to him, his body began to grow. Not the same kind of growth that marked a transition from child to adult, but a sudden upscaling of everything. And during it, he still maintained his flight, on a course for MechaGodzilla.

One of them would fall.

And Andrew was determined to make sure it was MechaGodzilla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/), yar!


	60. Ultraman (Andrew 2.0, Part Five)

The sounds of hellish machinery, enormous hydraulics hissing and the crackling of sinister generators, echoed far into the distance, as MechaGodzilla took great, thunderous strides, leveling buildings from the shock of its steps alone, as it strode down from the mountain range towards the nearby city of Denver, Colorado.

The mechanical monster roared, sending the people on the ground below scattering in fear, before it came to a slow stop, its tail moving idly about.

\---------

“Locomotion systems are holding up well under the strain,” The Chief Technician reported, looking up from his console, upon which a full status readout of MechaGodzilla could be seen. “MechaGodzilla’s functioning well within predicted parameters.”

“Good,” Jonah nodded with a small, sick smile, “Now, time to show off its teeth.”

The Chief Technician nodded, pressing a button on the far side of his console.

\---------

MechaGodzilla’s eyes, a gold-yellow color, suddenly shifted to a bright, angry crimson, and it roared again, shattering the eardrums of those unfortunate enough to be close to the technological beast.

It remained deathly, uncannily still as its metal maw unhinged, revealing what looked like a gun barrel mounted on the inside.

MechaGodzilla’s angular dorsal capacitors pulsed with light, the barrel in its mouth flashing with a red glow, and that was all the warning the humans under its enormous heel would get.

With a bone-shaking, deep whir, and an ear-splitting crack, a thin red beam of matter streamed out from MechaGodzilla’s gullet, the core of the beam so bright that it appeared almost pure white, and so bright that any who looked upon it were instantly blinded. This was its main weapon, designed to take down the flesh-and-blood Godzillas, a magneto-hydrodynamic cannon, a device that fired superheated streams of nanometal at supersonic speeds, designed to punch through armor and burn away the flesh of its targets faster than it could regenerate.

MechaGodzilla slowly pivoted around, keeping the beam level, as the weapon effortlessly shaved off the upper levels of the buildings tall enough to be caught within the beam’s path.

MechaGodzilla clenched its fists as it cut off the cannon and hunched over. The armor panels on its back retracted, revealing a series tubes arranged carefully to cram as many as possible. The tubes screeched as missiles were suddenly fired out from each one, haphazardly flying to hit any target possible.

\---------

“My God…” Mark breathed, looking at the satellite feed of the area they had brought up after tracking Andrew and Minya to that location. “It’s destroying everything.”

“So…” Vivienne leaned forward, looking on in disgusted awe, like watching a train derail, or a wind turbine explode. “That’s Jonah’s new weapon.”

“How are we supposed to fight something like that without Godzilla?” Mark hopelessly breathed, staring at the moving mountain of metal.

Something moving swiftly across the screen grabbed her attention, and Emma pushed through Mark to see. Her eyebrows shot up. “Okay… I know for a _fact_ I didn’t program that.”

“What do you mean?” Vivienne inquired, turning around, as Mark got a sinking feeling in his gut. “What is that?”

“Andrew.” Emma breathed, looking oddly proud for someone who’s creation was going off the rails.

\------------

The ground quaked as Andrew came in for a landing, slamming down behind MechaGodzilla. The mechanical kaiju turned around, roaring, to be met with the steadfast figure standing at the same height, totally unintimidated.

That wasn’t a good thing. Andrew was unintimidated because, right now, he didn’t have the capacity for being intimidated. He should be wary, for MechaGodzilla was designed to fight _Cyber-_ Godzilla, and Cyber-Godzilla was even stronger than he had been pre-upgrade.

Andrew stood tall, placing his hands on his hips, as MechaGodzilla tried to scan and classify the threat.

\-------------

“What the hell does that thing think it’s doing!?” Mark bellowed. “It’s gonna get Minya killed!”

“Well,” Emma angrily pivoted around to face him, “If _he_ doesn’t do anything, a city’s going to burn, how about that, Mark!?”

“Both of you, for once in your lives, shut up for god’s sake!” Vivienne cut in again, at her wits’ end. “The fight’s starting!”

Both scientists whipped back to face the screen, watching intently as the fight began to unfold.

\-----------

MechaGodzilla snarled, opening its mouth to fire its main cannon yet again. Andrew, prepared for the act by the mechanoid’s telegraphing movements, brought his arms up over his chest in an x-formation, balling his fists as he did so.

The cannon shot struck on target, the point where both Andrew’s arms crossed, and the titanic humanoid staggered, being pushed back by the force of the beam. He dug his heels into the ground, finally stopping, but MechaGodzilla did not let up.

He needed something to break the beam attack, fast.

Moving swiftly (he had to, for if he stalled too long, then the beam would knock him off his feet again, or worse, burn into him), Andrew moved a hand to his back, grabbing and igniting his disc. Not waiting a single second more, Andrew swiped the disc.

In response to his movements, the disc’s glowing edge of energy shot out in a dismembering halo of power, maintaining its ringed, serrated shape, as it sailed through the air, striking MechaGodzilla in the mouth.

The mechanical titan screeched, staggering back as its beam attack ceased, and its mouth sparked.

Now with an opening, Andrew charged forward, and balled his fist, striking MechaGodzilla in the chest area. The metal of the dark imitation whined and warped, as MechaGodzilla fell, kicking.

\----------

“Yes!” Emma pumped her fist proudly. “That’s my boy!”

“Yeah!” Rick cheered on as well, as the other spectators gathered around. “Kick it’s ass!”

\----------

Andrew stood, looming over it, before MechaGodzilla’s chest opened, firing missiles out towards the enormous humanoid. The missiles struck, blasting Andrew back into a building. The outer walls crumbled behind him, as he tried to keep himself from falling further.

He looked up, the eye-shaped lights on the outside of his helmet flickering to red with the rest of his status lights, as MechaGodzilla got back up, screeching again.

\---------

“Damn,” Sturges whistled, as Andrew charged to deliver an uppercut to MechaGodzilla’s already busted jaw, “Bet he’s popular at parties. Everyone, meet the human lightstrip.”

“They’re status lights,” Emma explained cooly, her eyes flickering over to him.

“Really?” Sturges raised an eyebrow. “You can get things like how he’s feeling from them?”

“Basic emotional states, yes.” Emma replied. “I already dealt with one moody teenager, I figured it would be easier the second time around if I could actually tell what he’s feeling.”

Mark huffed, crossing his arms, “Invasion of privacy much.”

“We’re parents, our kids don’t _have_ privacy.”

Mark blinked, holding up a finger, before shrugging in resignation.

\----------

The force of the uppercut sent MechaGodzilla recoiling back, as parts of its neck cracked and sparked, hissing out steam, or smoke.

Alarms on the status console for MechaGodzilla went off almost every second, as Andrew’s attacks seemed to be dealing with MechaGodzilla like he was _nothing_.

“This shouldn’t be happening…” Jonah growled, looking at the display with barely restrained fury. “This was meant to be our finest hour…”

Funny how plans change, isn’t it?

\-----------

MechaGodzilla stumbled, sparking all over, as its eyes flashed with power. Two beams of multicolored light shot out, striking Andrew in his sternum. The technorganic experienced what felt like an electrified punch to the chest, as his status lights went dark for a moment. It felt like the air was pulled out of his lungs, every single component of his body dipped into a bath of energy.

When he returned to normal, Andrew had finally had enough.

Clenching his fists, he brought his arms up in a plus formation, the left arm held horizontally over his right. He flattened his right hand into a palm, and the status lights on the back of his hand began to pulse with power.

Suddenly, the points of light on Andrew’s hand began to shoot out rapid, repeated beams, clustered together to form a stream.

The stream hit MechaGodzilla in the torso, causing it to fall yet again, roaring defiantly all the while.

\-------

Jonah whipped to face the Chief Technician. “Fire the Singularity Cannon!”

“S-Sir!?” He spluttered in response.

“We’re about to lose fifteen years of work, _do it!”_

The Chief nodded, quickly tapping in a series of commands.

\--------

MechaGodzilla’s torso plating opened one final time, creaking uncertainly as the warped metal scraped against the tracks that could no longer guide it. Held inside was an enormous gun barrel, glowing faintly as a purple sphere began to build around it.

MechaGodzilla roared, and Andrew stood, as the two beams collided, bathing the battlefield in a blinding, bright white light.

When it faded… only one stood.

\--------

All parties watched, tense, as they waited for the blinding light to fade away from their screens, when it did…

The people assembled in the Monarch compound erupted into cheers.

“Yeah!” Emma practically jumped. “Yes! That’s my boy!”

\----------

Jonah slammed his fist down on the desk in fury, as the console let out a long, whining tone that signaled MechaGodzilla’s destruction.

“Mister Jonah,” A calm, level-headed voice behind him addressed him calmly, causing him to turn to face the new arrival. “I implore you to remain calm.”

“Calm!?” Jonah furiously repeated. “That is fifteen years of work, of careful planning under the noses of anyone who’d try to stop of, down the drain! Unless you can offer me more, Brenner, I’m going to have a _very_ hard time keeping calm just because someone tells me two.”

Brenner smiled disarmingly, approaching. “It was just a prototype. All prototypes have a… flaw or two that have to be ironed out for the production model. Rest assured… Mark Two will be even better.”

Jonah gritted his teeth, staring at the picture of the unknown interloper frozen on the screen… yes, Mark Two sounded like a good idea.

\------------

When he returned to the compound, Minya safely behind him, and Andrew himself back to standard human size, everybody was on them in an instant.

“Holy shit, that was awesome!” Rick said first.

“How the hell’d you go that big, man!?” Sturges pressed.

 _“Minya!”_ Madzilla picked him up. _“We were so worried!”_ She anxiously held the little spawn close. _“Don’t wander off like that again, you hear me!?”_

 _“That…”_ Cyber-Godzilla rumbled, “ _Was something else.”_ He looked down to Andrew. _“From the bottom of our hearts, thanks.”_

Andrew nodded, emoting intensely now that his helmet was gone. “You’re welcome.”

“Andrew!” Emma was on him, worriedly throwing her arms around him, “That was- That was-“ She scowled. “What on God’s green Earth possessed you to do that!?”

Andrew blinked, as the entirety of the humans on-site gathered around to see. “It… felt _right._ ” He said, quietly, almost like a secret, before nodding to himself. “It felt right. Like I was… meant to help.”

“You could’ve gotten killed!” Emma fired back.

“Lots more could’ve gotten killed if I didn’t help.” Andrew retorted, turning around to look at Minya, who was being carried away by his mother. “And… it all worked out in the end, I think.”

“Hm.” Mark vocalized, appearing. He looked Andrew up and down, scrutinizingly, before nodding once, holding his hand out.

Andrew looked down at it curiously, taking the man’s hand.

Mark’s grip was firm, and his jaw was clenched, but if nothing else, he looked grateful. “Thanks. For bringing my grandson back.” And that was all he offered before releasing Andrew’s hand, turning to leave.

Andrew cocked his head. “What an odd man.”

“…he’s just working through some things.” Emma told her son, leading him along. “Let’s get you settled in properly. Call it, a hero’s welcome, if you like. But first… Everyone!” She hollered. “This is my son, Andrew! And he just took down MechaGodzilla!”

With that one sentence, the crowd erupted into cheers, clapping as Emma led him along. Being ushered forth, his status lights flashed pink, as his face went a faint red.

He didn’t expect to be welcomed so… enthusiastically, he was just helping someone.

Not that it was a bad thing.

 _“Hey, kid,”_ Cyber-Godzilla rumbled to him, _“Suffer through whatever it is your mom has planned for you, and come find me.”_

“Suffer!?” Andrew squeaked, as Emma pulled him into the quarters.

\----------

An excruciating amount of time later, what amounted to searching through trunks of Mark’s old clothes for something for Andrew to wear, he walked out, striding to the other side of the lake to meet up with Cyber-Godzilla, as he was instructed.

Andrew tugged the collar of the thin white dress shirt uncomfortably. He knew what clothes were in theory, yes, but he did not like them. What was the point when his outermost layer didn’t have anything that had to be covered, and looked like a weird form of clothing anyway?

Still, at least he could get away with not wearing shoes. He didn’t even have to take one look at those things before deciding that they would be the bane of his existence.

Pushing the clothing-related grievances out of his mind, Andrew walked to the edge of the lake, standing as Cyber-Godzilla leaned down to look at him.

 _“You took your sweet time.”_ Cyber-Godzilla rumbled.

Andrew shrugged. “Mother was incessant.” Was all he offered. “You… wanted to speak to me?”

 _“Yeah.”_ Cyber-Godzilla sighed. _“First up, how are you doing after that big fight?”_

Andrew blinked, rolling his shoulder. “Well. Thank you.” His brow furrowed curiously. “Why did you call me out here?”

 _“Listen, I…”_ Cyber-Godzilla sighed. _“You did a massive solid for us to today. But I’ve got one more favor to ask.”_

“…Which is?”

 _“Mads and I, well, we’ve got our hands full with the little ones.”_ Cyber-Godzilla explained. _“You saw how easily Minya got out of our sight, and there’s fifty-nine more just like him. Mads and I, we need to focus everything we can on raising them, protecting them until they can fend for themselves.”_

“…how does this concern me?” Andrew took a step back.

 _“I heard you talking about how it felt, helping people.”_ The cyborg rumbled. _“So, I figured, while Mads and I step back for a while… you can take up that responsibility. Of defending the peoples of the earth from threats they can’t fight.”_

“…Me?” Andrew repeated, his circuits pulsing an intense yellow. “Why?”

 _“You held your own well out there today, kid, and most of the threats we deal with now are human ones.”_ He explained. _“So, how about it?”_

“I would be… honored.” Andrew replied.

Cyber-Godzilla grinned. _“I knew you would. There is one more thing. During battle, we can’t call you Andrew.”_

The technorganic blinked. “Why not?”

 _“Rule one of superheroes, secret identity and all that!”_ Cyber-Godzilla replied. _“You gotta pick a superhero alias.”_

“I-I’m afraid I’m not versed in the-“

 _“Relax, I thought as much, so I already did the heavy thinking.”_ Cyber-Godzilla cleared his throat. _“Henceforth, your alter-ego shall be known as… Ultraman.”_

“Ultraman…” Andrew repeated, the corners of his mouth tilting up. “ _Nice_.”

\----------

A bottle clinking next to her as it hit the desk caught her attention, and Emma turned to face it, following the attached hand and arm up to their owner.

Emma was met with the patiently waiting face of her ex-husband.

She turned away. “If you’re trying to butter me up to get me to kill my son, it’s not going to work.”

“No, God, Jesus, no.” Mark muttered, flinching. “It’s… a peace offering.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “A peace offering?”

“Yeah, I realized I probably can’t get you to get rid of him,” Mark resignedly shrugged, “I can’t expect you to. But I did come here to tell you… whatever you’re thinking about, applying the those nanites to the rest of humanity… for God’s sake, _don’t do it._ ”

Emma huffed, feeling a slight, ironic smile cross her face. “You don’t need to worry… I’m not.”

“You’re not.” Mark blinked.

Emma slowly nodded, turning to her console. “The more I look at the readings, the more that I realize that although I understood his creation… I cannot even begin to comprehend his existence now.” She glanced at Mark. “In the past two days, he’s become a million times more complex than when he was brought online. He surprised me… and he’ll keep surprising.” Emma stared absently at the screen. “Every second he’s alive, he keeps… evolving in ways I can’t predict.”

“Evolving…” Mark looked at her, curious. “What does that mean?”

“It means, whatever he is, he’s not human… and he’s not machine.” Emma replied slowly, thoughtfully. “He’s something… beyond my comprehension. Probably all our comprehension. And as such, I can’t, in good conscience, try to apply what I’ve learned from him to others.” She put all of her files, her research notes, data, plans, all of it, into a folder and archived it, placing a password on it, and for good measure, putting it onto an external drive, hiding it away.

“…You know that makes him the only one of his kind, right?” Mark asked quietly.

“Oh?” Emma turned. “And what do you care? All you’ve been is angry that he’s not ‘your’ Andrew.”

“I was never angry because of that.” Mark shook his head. “I was hurt that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”

“Oh… Oh, Mark.” Emma shook her head regretfully. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. I just didn’t want to get your hopes up in case… in case I failed.”

Mark huffed, looking down. “You know, I came in here with the results of a simulation that proved it was a bad idea. Guess I don’t need it now.”

“Right.” Emma chuckled quietly, so low she almost was unable to be heard. “…You open the bottle, I’ll get the glasses?”

Mark smiled, “Just like old times.” Emma smiled back, reaching into a cabinet for some glasses, as Mark uncorked the bottle, pouring their drinks. He threw his back quickly, smacking his lips, before looking to Emma inquisitively. “You never did answer my question.”

“About?”

“Andrew, being the only one of his kind.” Mark elaborated. “Can he even reproduce, as of right now?”

Emma crossed her arms, before taking a swig of her drink. “I don’t know.” She readily admitted. “He shouldn’t be able to -shouldn’t have _been_ able to when I brought him online- but…”

Mark’s eyebrows shot up. “’But?’”

“But he’s been doing a lot of things he shouldn’t have been able to.” Emma finished. “With time… he might find a way to reproduce on his own… scratch that, he _probably_ will.”

“…so what do we do?” Mark asked.

Emma looked down, into her glass, seemingly searching for the answers in the brown liquor.

“…nothing.” Emma finally answered. “There’s nothing we can do, other than treat him right. Like we would any other human being.”

“Right.” Mark agreed. “Feels like I’ve already failed, in that respect.”

“It’s still early days.” Emma sagely responded. “You can make that change before it’s too late.”

“Right…” Mark slowly nodded.

Emma smiled, turning to her workstation, switching it off. She had her son back, and he was stronger than he’d ever been.

For once, her luck was finally starting to look up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be my [Tumblr](https://d0ct0rp004ndtheturdis.tumblr.com/), yar!


End file.
